Chapter 70: The Power of Machines

However, it was evident that Ram didn’t comprehend the intricacies of what he was saying and even appeared somewhat disheartened.

“Besides opening that shop, everything else seems to necessitate a substantial investment of time and money. Is there really potential for profit?” she asked Wu Qingsong. “Can’t you make some form of luxury item?”

“I really can’t think of anything,” Wu Qingsong admitted.

Undoubtedly, numerous luxury items cater to the elite, and countless modern societal commodities could fetch astronomical prices if introduced to this world. The crux of the matter was that producing these goods required a powerful, modern industrial ecosystem encompassing chemical engineering, machinery, electronics, and a myriad of other disciplines. Something unattainable by a sophomore college student.

Opportunities like soap–a straightforward venture with minimal technical and equipment demands, low investment, and quick returns–were rare and hard to come by.

Watches undeniably qualify as luxury items, but regrettably, he lacked the knowledge and even the conceptual understanding to manufacture them.

Could glassware be a potential venture? The presence of glass craftsmen in this world and Wu Qingsong’s lack of industry knowledge meant he was not confident in outperforming them in terms of quality, speed, or cost-effectiveness.

Exquisite ceramics, particularly bone china, were well-known luxuries, but he had no expertise in that area either.

And lingerie, the secret weapon of another transmigrator? Unfortunately, his virgin status meant he only understood the aesthetic appeal, not the structural intricacies. Weren’t the initial designs constructed with whalebone frameworks?

Moreover, these items were easily replicable. With the example of the furniture business in mind, Wu Qingsong saw no viable opportunity to profit from lingerie. Similarly, although his mind brimmed with stunning clothing designs from games and anime, those items would only serve as wedding dresses for others.

True profitability lay in producing something others could make, but doing it faster, better, and at a lower cost.

“This armor is worth a try,” Harold suggested, speaking from his extensive experience as a mercenary.

Traditional leather armor was difficult to repair and adjust for size. It was frustrating when armor seized from an enemy proved unusable. If it was too large, you could wear extra layers underneath, but if it was too small, you’re forced to sell it at a loss.

While patchwork leather armors existed, they were made from various patch specifications and faced the same sizing issue.

Wu Qingsong’s design, predominantly composed of identical patches, was something Harold hadn’t encountered before. However, following Wu Qingsong’s explanation, he deemed it entirely feasible.

This armor, connected by numerous leather ropes and relying on layered protection, was slightly heavier than typical leather armor. Yet, Harold considered this perfectly acceptable.

“Even if the mercenary groups don’t purchase it, you can use it yourselves and save on equipment costs. Furthermore, you could sell it to other rebels or even the northern barbarians.”

“But they could replicate it,” Ram pointed out.

“That’s where we leverage our production capabilities and cost efficiency to outperform them,” Wu Qingsong asserted. “This is my forte.”

After pondering for a moment, Ram finally declared, “I still think opening that hot pot restaurant is a better idea.”

Despite her previous reservations, Ram began dispatching people to Umber to acquire processed whole pieces of hard leather, as well as the seemingly useless scraps left over by other leatherworkers after cutting out armor pieces. According to Wu Qingsong’s design, these previously discarded materials could now be utilized effectively, and the purchase cost was almost negligible.

Several wolfwomen skilled in weaving and mending were discreetly brought to Wu Qingsong’s camp. Under his instruction, they started to learn how to punch holes in the long strips of hard leather, thread them together with fine leather cords, and then layer them to craft complete sets of armor.

The structure of the first set of armor was quite simple, resembling a vest that primarily protected against frontal and rear attacks.

In reality, crafting this new type of armor was more complicated than traditional leather armor, which only required two large pieces. However, the benefit of this new armor was that if any part was damaged, only the affected piece needed to be replaced. While the layered design added some extra weight, it also provided additional protection.

Upon testing, they found that its defense against arrows was significantly improved compared to the old type of armor, and its defense against close-range stabs and slashes was also substantially enhanced.

Although the cost was somewhat higher than that of the traditional armor, from the perspectives of usage and repairability, this new armor was far superior.

“It looks quite ugly,” Ram couldn’t help but comment as she examined the second set of armor.

This set included shoulder guards and was similarly crafted from long strips of hard leather. To enhance its waterproofing and durability, Wu Qingsong also applied a layer of red waterproof paint on its surface. In his opinion, it looked strikingly handsome.

“Shoulder guards could be made with the old-fashioned style since they don’t require much material,” Harold said. “Actually, it’s not even necessary. Most injuries happen in the torso and limbs, and the previous vest-style armor is already sufficient.”

“But isn’t the cost quite high?” Ram pressed further.

Wu Qingsong simply chuckled in response, “Leave that to me.”

In Esola, a city renowned for its metallurgy industry, there were numerous skilled craftsmen. Wu Qingsong had no trouble distributing the fabrication of various parts to different shops before assembling them at his own base.

The resulting machine was comprised of several gears, flywheels, and belts, powered by a millstone-like structure that could be driven by horses, other livestock, or even humans, with water as another possible power source. The machine ended with a circular saw and a simple wooden lathe.

While this structure might seem rudimentary from a modern perspective, it was considered quite intricate in this world.

Though similar devices existed, such as windmills used for pumping water, no one had thought to harness such power in this particular way before.

Once the horses set the wheel in motion, the circular saw began spinning rapidly. All that was needed was for someone to secure the large pieces of hard leather onto the lathe with nails, then gently push the lathe forward. In moments, the circular saw efficiently sliced the tough, treated leather into thin, elongated strips.

A seasoned leatherworker might spend an entire day meticulously processing a piece of extremely hard treated leather, and even then, the resulting strips could vary in size. But with Wu Qingsong’s machine, even an apprentice with no prior experience could complete the task in just a few minutes.

In some parts of the machine, Wu Qingsong used simple wooden rolling bearings to prove to Ram and Harold that he hadn’t exaggerated its capabilities. These bearings, although not bearing excessive force, were made from robust wood and, combined with an ample amount of grease for lubrication, exhibited satisfactory performance.

Ram and Harold were wide-eyed with astonishment. Together, the three of them could complete a workshop’s month’s worth of work in just a single day with this machine. It was nothing short of astonishing.

“This machine’s secrets must be strictly protected,” Ram immediately declared, then added, “It’s a waste to use it here. Now that we understand its function, let’s destroy it.”

“There’s no need for that,” Wu Qingsong responded. “Once we cover it, no one will be able to see its internal workings. In a critical situation, we can simply set it on fire. Only the gears and flywheels will remain, and it’s unlikely that anyone will be able to reassemble them.”

Over the course of time, the houndmen had demonstrated ample loyalty and competence. Although they hadn’t yet faced a true test, Wu Qingsong believed the likelihood of them betraying him was minimal.

After all, given their current status and position, the chances of them finding a better life elsewhere were almost non-existent.

Once he had obtained his own territory and brought over their families, their loyalty would be sufficiently secured, resolving many issues in the process.