"Cheng Elec? Are you an IT guy?" Xiangbei instinctively thought of the vibrant community of IT talents at the University of Cheng Du Electronic Science and Technology of China in Chengdu, People call it Cheng Elec in short. Could he be another person who transmigrated?
"Yes, Miss Bei, my name is Cheng Elec, you can call me Cheng Dian or Lightning Cheng. When I was born, there was thunder and lightning in the sky, so my father gave me this name. If I don't run, I'll really get kicked."
"Take a seat; he won't dare to kick you while I'm here. Miss Bei needs to craft some mechanical tools. Let's discuss it together, and later, we'll go to your place to take a look."
With Cheng Mo initiating a serious conversation, everyone put aside the jokes and focused on discussing business matters.
Having stared at the forge fire for quite a while, Xiangbei noticed a rough model of a long knife immersed in charcoal residue.
She stood up, picked up a jug from the table, poured it into an iron box filled with charcoal dust, and stirred it into a paste.
"Old Iron, I need you to quench the blade in this charcoal paste. I want to make some extremely hard and sharp flat knives and gear-shaped circular saws. However, the coal stove needs some modifications to reach a suitable temperature above 800 degrees. What do you think? Old Iron, Old Iron."
As Xiangbei poured the wine and stirred the charcoal paste, Old Iron's eyes widened as if he had suddenly gained profound enlightenment. When he heard her casually mentioning the need for furnace modifications to increase the temperature, Old Iron was on the verge of ecstasy. It seemed like the fame of Lichuan would flourish under his craftsmanship. Considering that divorced seductress, how could she force me to reveal the secrets of the hard-edged blade forging technique with her mediocre skills?
"Miss Bei, I earnestly request guidance on the secrets of the hard-edged blade. I, Xun, am willing to serve under the Eastern Breeze King for the rest of my life." Old Iron took a step forward, kneeling before Xiangbei and Cheng Mo.
What just happened? What act is he starting now? Xiangbei looked at Cheng Mo with a puzzled expression, seeking an explanation.
Cheng Mo wasn't entirely sure, but Old Iron's inherent pride indicated he must have unintentionally disclosed something extraordinary again. Cheng Mo was getting used to such situations and raised his hand to assist Old Iron.
"Brother Lichuan, we are brothers. If there's anything you want to know, Miss Bei will surely share all the knowledge, right, Miss Bei?" Regardless of what he wanted to inquire about, Cheng Mo never imagined gaining the loyalty of the head of the Lichuan family. For centuries, the Lichuan forging family had never shown loyalty to any royal or noble family.
From the day he first saw the Tai Chi martial arts until now, Cheng Mo knew he had to become even stronger to ensure the safety of this unknowing young lady with the jade pendant.
"Yeah, Old Iron, I need your help in processing many tools. A good workman must first sharpen his tools, right? Of course, I have to help you improve your craftsmanship to make the things I want even better. It's a Double win for both situation. Don't mind it so much. Besides, I'll teach you, and that's all you need. There's no need to pledge allegiance to that East Shore King. If you have the time and energy, why not use the new technique to craft a fine knife as a gift for Cheng Mo? In this town, he's the real boss! Do you understand?"
Xiangbei found Old Iron particularly amusing, adopting even the postures of a mountain eagle while talking to him. Cheng Mo came over, pulling down her thumb raised in approval, and added, "Yes, yes, just hide in Zebei Town and forge weapons. Wouldn't it be even better if Brother Lichuan made some knives for me?"
Old Iron realized the situation and, keeping his identity hidden, clasped his fists and said, "Yes, from now on, I, Lichuan Xuan, will follow Master Cheng Mo for the rest of my life!"
"Alright, alright, seems like you have a penchant for following someone. Well, follow him then. At least, we're all familiar with each other, much better than that East Shore King. Get up quickly, let's talk about the real business, the real business."
Xiangbei was getting a bit impatient. It was getting late, and if this guy didn't get up soon, Cheng Mo might have to remind him to go to sleep.
"So, here's the thing. I need to make a high-speed gear with a leather belt drive to cut many small wooden pieces. I also need to make a reciprocating sliding back-and-forth push knife to make very fine grooves. Therefore, the blades on both the knife and the gear must be extremely sharp and have sufficient hardness. Your carbon carburizing method won't satisfy both requirements simultaneously, so I need you to switch to a liquid carburizing steel quenching method."
As she reached this point, Xiangbei, seemingly pulling something out from the generous sleeves, retrieved a thick sheet of rice paper and a pencil from the spatial storage, then returned to the long table.
She drew a three-dimensional exploded view of tongs, coupling coal, and a coal seal. Following that, she sketched an improved coal stove with four chambers, asbestos insulation, and an outer layer of iron sheet – a quick sketch with cross-sectional and profile views, connected to a side-drawn hand-operated bellows.
Before she could finish, Cheng Mo had attempted several times to speak up, each time halted by a warning look from Cheng Mo.