Dawn of a New Era

Zhou Xue glanced at him, took out a novel, and read it on her own.

The car drove away quickly.

This car was obviously a little old, and the engine in the car made a sound of Kutong Kutong like an asthmatic patient out of breath. Chen Shouyi was a little worried that the car would break down halfway.

Fortunately, that didn't happen.

After lying down for about half an hour, he opened his eyes and looked out the window.

Outside is an industrial area with many chimneys spewing a lot of white smoke.

Pingqiu City is not far from Ningzhou, and it is already within the range of Ningzhou.

Compared with the still depressed Pingqiu City, the traffic flow on the road here has recovered somewhat, but compared to before, it is still much less.

Master, I heard that some factories here use steam engines? Someone in the car asked the driver.

Those who are smoking are basically all!

Now the electricity in Ningzhou can only supply residential areas and some industrial areas. Most of the factories can only generate electricity by themselves, or use steam engines to renovate machine tools. It is said that the government has subsidies in this regard, and interest-free loans are also available. . said the driver.

This is really... The passenger didn't know how to express his feelings: I thought it was fake.

Actually, the steam engine is not bad. You see, thermal power plants and nuclear power plants do not use steam turbines to generate electricity, and the steam engines in factories are not the same as before.

At least it is a subcritical steam engine, one steam engine can drive hundreds or even thousands of heavy machine tools. Much cheaper than generating your own electricity!

As a former senior high school student, Chen Shouyi still had a rough idea of ​​what a subcritical steam engine meant?

During the heating and gasification process of water, as the pressure in the boiler increases, the saturation temperature of the water will also increase, and the gasification efficiency will decrease. When the pressure increases to a certain level, the steam will be saturated and no longer gasified. At this time, the density of steam and water is the same, which is to reach the critical state.

If the pressure and temperature continue to increase, all the water has been vaporized into steam at this time, there is no difference between steam and water, water is steam, and steam is water, which is becoming supercritical.

The subcritical state is approaching the critical state, which is considered an extremely mature technology in modern times.

As for today's thermal power plants and nuclear power plants, they basically use more advanced supercritical units, even ultra-supercritical units.

However, even the thermal efficiency of a subcritical steam engine is already extremely high, far from being comparable to that of a steam engine a hundred years ago.

But it was all clear. Looking at the chimneys outside, Chen Shouyi still felt heavy in his heart.

This is the slow decline of human civilization.

After all, electricity is the most convenient and clean energy for human beings.

If the forces of the other world continue to invade, once the electricity is completely unusable, not only the prosperous and convenient information electrification era will completely become the history of civilization, but also various industries including metallurgy and chemistry will also experience severe decline.

The whole world will become dark.

He looked out of the window at the chimney spewing white smoke, as if seeing the afterglow of a civilization that was about to decline.

Chen Shouyi felt a faint sadness in his heart for no reason.

...

The car continued to drive for half an hour, and finally stopped.

Chen Shouyi and Zhou Xue got out of the car together, walked out of the station, and saw many taxis outside:

Together? Chen Shouyi asked.

Zhou Xue nodded and said, Well, let's carpool together to save money!

After all, she is a fifteen-year-old girl, so she probably has never been to Ningzhou.

Of course, neither did he, but he was more courageous than her. He put the backpack behind him into the trunk and sat in the cab:

Master, go to the Martial Arts Assessment Center.

The driver started the car quickly and said: I have picked up several times today,

They all went to the Martial Arts Assessment Center.

Are there many people? Chen Shouyi asked.

Many! Most of them came from other places. I heard that the requirements for this assessment will be lowered! The driver seemed to be well-informed.

Really? Zhou Xue listened and asked hastily.

It must be. Think about it. With so many people coming, how long will it take to pass the exam one by one? At that time, the requirements will definitely be relaxed.

Zhou Xue was not sure about the assessment at all, and she couldn't help showing a tinge of joy when she heard the good news.

Chen Shouyi didn't care whether it was difficult or easy this time, and immediately asked:

Is there a hotel near there?

There are quite a few, but I guess it's already full!

Let's go there and have a look first, and we'll talk about it later.

The car arrived at its destination quickly.

The building in front is the martial arts assessment center, a total of one hundred and twenty-five.

It's so expensive! Zhou Xue exclaimed from behind.

It's so fresh. Now the fuel cost has doubled, and the fuel consumption is also high. You see, I have already clocked it. The driver called Qu.

Chen Shouyi didn't argue, and took out his wallet to pay.

After receiving the change, he took out his and the other's luggage from the trunk and waited for her to get off the car.

It's too expensive. If I had known it earlier, I would have made a bus. Zhou Xue murmured after picking up her luggage, with a distressed look, and then took out a wallet: Here, it's seventy yuan! You give me eight dollars and five.

Chen Shouyi took it, put it in his wallet, and said:

I don't have change, I owe it first.

There is five yuan in the change you received from the driver just now, give it to me first.

Chen Shouyi reopened the wallet to take a look, and sure enough, he found five yuan in it. He took it out and handed it over: Here you are!

Then you still owe me three and five yuan. Zhou Xue said seriously.

This girl is a little serious.

Chen Shouyi was speechless: Don't worry, I will pay you back when I cash it.

...

The two then began to look for hotels nearby, but they were either full or too expensive.

Chen Shouyi didn't care. Ever since he got the gold, his life had always been prosperous, and his spending had become a little extravagant.

But Zhou Xue was not satisfied at all.

This one is even more expensive than the previous ones, three hundred for a single room, and I need to stay for two days.

I've been looking for it for more than two hours. How about I help you pay it instead of you. Chen Shouyi couldn't help but said.

Who wants you to be kind? If you are impatient, you can go. Anyway, I didn't ask you to stay with me all the time. Zhou Xue's face suddenly turned cold.

Chen Shouyi's family was in good condition since he was a child, and his life was worry-free. He never had to worry about money. He couldn't help but imagine that in an ordinary family, and possibly a single-parent family, how much pressure would it take to train a martial artist apprentice? more sensitive.

Chen Shouyi came to his senses and quickly apologized:

Okay, I'm wrong, then keep looking!

The two of them didn't speak any more, they walked with their heads muffled, and the atmosphere that had finally gotten to know each other slowly cooled down again.

After searching for nearly half an hour, the two finally found a hotel with a reasonable price.

Looking at the age of the two, the beautiful waiter at the service desk showed no abnormality on his face: Do you two need a couple's room?

Lovers room! ?

The little girl had obviously never experienced such a scene before, her eyes widened slightly when she heard this, and a blush quickly appeared on her fair face, like a frightened rabbit, she stammered a little: I...we are not together, single room , I will stay for two days.

Please show your ID card, a deposit of 100 yuan, and a room fee of 200 yuan, a total of 300 yuan.

After completing the formalities, Zhou Xue took the room card and did not wait for Chen Shouyi, so she carried her luggage and walked quickly to the elevator, as if she couldn't wait to prove to the front desk that the two of them were okay.