Heaven's Formula

"Do you two have contacts who can prove their identities?"

"This is a top-secret mission, and it must not be disclosed to anyone other than the two of us." Gong Shufeng refused.

"I see." The butler sighed, his voice suddenly turned cold, "So, even if you die here, no one will know that we did this?"

"You—" Gong Shufeng's complexion changed drastically.

"To be honest, I originally planned to let you go, if the two of you hadn't seen these things." The butler glanced at the corpse at the bottom of the hill, "You guys...can't you just pretend that nothing happened?"

"Do you know what you're doing!?" Gong Shufeng said in amazement.

"Let me tell you a little secret." The butler smiled meaninglessly, "Do you know who makes the most of the money obtained from buying and selling these people?" He paused for a while and lowered his voice, "It's Mr. Wu Bairen. "

The Privy Council...wasn't ignorant?

Before Gong Shufeng had time to digest the news, he felt a sharp pain in his back!

A long spear has protruded from the back and pierced into his body.

He fell forward with his arms around his younger brother, and at the same time saw more servants surrounding him with weapons.It's not that he doesn't have life-saving means, but in order to confirm his identity and prevent Jinxia's people from seeing his flaws, he left all the hidden weapons in Shangyuan City.Even with the ability to sense qi, a body alone cannot defeat dozens of well-equipped family private soldiers.

The second shot directly aimed at Gong Shufeng's neck——

"boom!"

There was only a soft cry, and the servant who stabbed him fell back, a long stream of blood burst out from the center of his nose.

What happened?

Gong Shufeng felt that his strength was running out, he barely raised his head, and found that the people around him seemed to be in a mess, they shouted loudly, brandished their weapons and fought with the figures in the dark night, the originally dead night suddenly boiled.

Did the refugees realize that their loved ones were being massacred, which led to the riots?

no, no...

He realized that these figures leaping out of the night were not refugees!

Although they are dressed in tattered clothes similar to those of refugees, and hold simple weapons, their eyes are completely different-their eyes are not numb to life and death, nor do they care about their own fate. There is hatred and hostility that need no words to describe.Even if they were facing thugs who approved the armor, they did not show any fear, as if the pitchfork and hatchet in their hands could smash the opponent's resistance!

One of the young women rushed to the front holding a flag. There was nothing on the flag, it was just a dark red rag, but in her hands, it seemed to be a torch leading thousands of troops.

"It's the rebels!"

"Damn it, why did they appear here!"

Vaguely, Gong Shufeng heard someone shouting in fear.

Rebels?

——"I heard that Huiyang Mansion is arresting rebels. Every ship going south needs to be searched in detail to ensure that there are no problems before it can be released."

The captain's words could not help but float in his ears.

He originally thought that the so-called rebels were spies or spies sent by Jinxia City.

It turns out... not all the people who conspired against him came from Jinxia...

This was Gong Shufeng's last consciousness before he passed out.

Chapter 822 The Third Generation Mechanism Beast

Jinxia City, in the test site of the Machinery Engineering Bureau.

Xia Fan couldn't help raising his brows when the test mechanism beast walked out of the assembly workshop—it can be seen that although it still retains the original design of two arms and two feet, the overall outline is smaller than that of the previous second-generation version. It's quite slender. From the first impression, this kind of improvement doesn't look like an enhancement, but rather a weakening.After all, the thick leg structure and the huge arm shield are very secure at first glance, and heavy in turn means stability.

"Is this designed for weight reduction?"

"That's right," Mo Yun nodded, "especially the skeleton part, it was made of wood before, but now it is replaced with steel pipes, the volume and weight have been reduced. In addition, there are many unnecessary structural deadweights, which are all the same. And removed, if Miss Sikong didn't mention it, I wouldn't know that those things are redundant designs at all."

Having said that, Mo Yun's eyebrows slanted, and he gave Xia Fan a white look.

The latter could only turn his head and laugh dryly.

After all, the system will not understand why the robot has horns.

What's more, in terms of mechanical design, Xia Fan can only be said to be half-tuned. Now that professionals are involved, the previous design is obviously a bit behind.

"But the biggest improvement is not this point, you will see it soon." Mo Yun suddenly smiled, making the previous white eyes look a little coquettish, "Keep your eyes wide open, don't miss it—"

After the voice fell, the mechanism beast started to move.

When it took the first step, Xia Fan was dumbfounded.I saw that the testing machine completely got rid of the hysteresis of the previous machine, and it was as smooth as ordinary people walking!I saw the mechanism beast, which was more than three meters high, run for a few steps, then tiptoe up, and turned around in a circle!The huge self-weight made its body crack and crack, and the stone bricks on the ground also shattered.

What's even more exaggerated is that it deliberately fell to the ground next, and then bounced up with the support of the right arm skeleton, and swept out its right leg, as if it was fighting an enemy of the same size.

If an ordinary person is kicked hard by this kick, at least he will suffer a comminuted fracture all over his body, and no matter how thick the armor is, he will not be able to recover.

The problem is that due to the limitation of the control joints of the mechanism beast, it is impossible to make such complicated movements. Even if the mechanical transmission can be realized, the driver cannot drive so many astronomical instruments.How did this series of extremely flexible skill demonstrations come true?

In a sense, this thing is already extremely similar to a simulation robot like Gundam.

"It's a bionic mechanism."

It was Sikong who answered his doubts.

Bionic mechanism?

Xia Fan twitched the corners of his mouth, "Could you have found inspiration from the enemy's spider mechanism beast?"

In terms of technology alone, the mechanism beast that attacked Noah's tree boat at night was indeed better than Xuanwu, but when he thought of the bloody and squirming muscles in the mechanism beast, he felt repelled from the bottom of his heart.

"I still need to find inspiration from that kind of thing? It's just a magic trick to take shortcuts. If the escape committee is still there, all the guys who make these unethical products will not be able to escape the death penalty." Sikong expressed disdain for this statement. With a glance, "Jinxia City obviously has better raw materials to replace it, such as the root of the tree boat."

After listening to the other party's explanation, Xia Fan suddenly realized.

To put it simply, after quickly absorbing all kinds of information and experience from the mechanism bureau, Sikong selected the spiral whiskers of the tree boat to replace the original structure of the astronomical instrument.Although it is a whisker, it can actually grow to two or three meters thick and nearly ten meters long. When it receives instructions, it will swing itself to generate thrust, just like a sea snake with roots. When thousands of spiral whiskers When working together, even a huge boat like a tree can ride the waves.

Xia Fan had also considered before whether this special plant could be used as a power source for ships, but because its body was fragile, it was not suitable for high-intensity use, and it was very difficult to control, so in the end it was used by the astronomical instrument and the propeller. program completely replaced.

But after Sikong brought the escape tower technology, these shortcomings are no longer a problem.

Compared with the astronomical instrument with hundreds of thousands of rotations per minute and more than ten hours a day, the exercise intensity of the mechanism beast can be regarded as quite low.And the nerve control module of the escape tower can accurately transmit electrical signals, which is also a technical height that Jinxia City can't reach for the time being.If the astronomical instrument in the past required the operator to inject air in sequence to achieve multi-dimensional movements, today's neural control system can directly capture brain waves, convert the operator's consciousness into electrical signals, and directly stimulate the expansion and contraction of spirulina. The conduction efficiency has increased more than dozens of times.

It is this gap that makes it possible for a mechanical beast that walks and runs like a human.

"But having said that, the effect of the actual machine test is better than I imagined." Sicron was a little puzzled, "The original purpose of these control modules is to free the workers who were disabled by the construction of the escape tower. They are all bionic limbs manufactured with cutting-edge biotechnology, but even so, they still cannot be as flexible as real limbs. Not to mention that today's bionic organs are just a type of plant, not even a human body. In theory It is said that its fit with the operator can only reach about 74%, but after the test now, this value has reached [-]%. In a little time, I should be able to fix this mistake."

Xia Fan pondered for a moment, "Have you ever thought that the error may not come from accidents, but from people?"

"Human?" Sikong closed his eyes, as if searching for data, "Impossible, I have checked this part of the parameters several times, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it."

"The data is certainly not wrong, but the data will not change with the precipitation of the years."

Sikong opened his eyes and looked at him, "You mean..."

At this moment, the testing machine stopped.

The cockpit cover was opened, and a familiar figure poked his head out, "Xia Fan, I want Suzaku to accept this new modification immediately, immediately!"

The driver is none other than Ning Wanjun.

Her face was flushed, her eyes were full of pleasure, and she was obviously still immersed in the excitement of operating this new test machine.

It really is Her Royal Highness.

After all, it is related to the improvement of the organ beast, and Mo Yun is the main person in charge, so it's no wonder Ning Wanjun didn't know about it.I'm afraid she was already waiting in the assembly workshop as soon as the prototype was made.

"Don't worry, the first modified mechanism beast is yours." Xia Fan replied with a smile. Anyway, it was not him who contributed, but all the members of the mechanism bureau.Seeing that Ning Wanjun got back into the driving seat with satisfaction, he turned his head and said to Sikong, "Even the artificial life forms used to replace them will continue to change under the influence of the environment. As a new generation with the potential to sense energy , they may not be exactly the same as humans in the past."

Chapter 823 Bookstore and Books

"Artificial life forms? What are you talking about?" Mo Yun asked with a puzzled face.

"No, it's nothing." Xia Fan skipped the topic and said, "Tomorrow is the departure day. Unfortunately, except for Suzaku, the other organ beasts have no time to accept the transformation."

"This is not a big problem," Mo Yun shrugged, "As long as you can win a port, the follow-up supplies will be sent to the evil horse continuously."

After accumulating a lot of experience in inland waterway navigation, the Machinery Engineering Bureau has been able to build simple cargo ships for crossing the strait.The naval training has also cultivated a group of fledgling oceangoing sailors, not to mention whether they can take on the responsibility of naval battles, and it is more than enough to control a cargo ship.

The next day, Noah's tree boat slowly left the east bank of Jinxia, ​​heading for the depths of the sea as usual.

Due to the need for strategic secrecy, necessary camouflage and cover-ups were carried out during the preparation and assembly of the team. For example, all the mechanical beasts were packed in wooden boxes, and the soldiers were dressed as fishermen to board the boat. Therefore, few people knew the destination of the Noah this time. Not a fishing ground, but the island of Yama across the sea.

The inside of the tree boat is not only equipped with the heavily armed First Division of Jinxia, ​​but also most of the elite alchemists from the Privy Council.Gan Yuyan, Duye Long and the others stayed in Jinxia as guardians, monitoring Qixing's every move.

Operation Overlord officially kicked off in this quiet atmosphere.

……

The people of Jinxia City knew nothing about the upcoming war.

In the eyes of the vast majority of people, today is another day of peace and ease. The market area has long been crowded with businessmen who came to pick the best fish, and there are many residents patronizing teahouses and restaurants. After time, they will be surprised to find that they don't have to worry about their future life all day long as they did in the past.No matter whether it is the jobs provided by the ports and wharves or the small workers recruited by street shops and inns, they all follow the minimum wage standard stipulated by the Bureau, and as long as they work hard at this standard salary, they can save a lot every week. Money comes.In addition to the necessary food to fill their stomachs, the money allows them to pursue things other than survival, such as delicious refreshments and new clothes.

The topic of discussion is no longer how much the government collects rent, whether there will be a catastrophe or forced labor this year, but has gradually changed to where to work, how much salary, whether there are benefits, and so on.If you can say that you are working in the secretariat, you will definitely attract a burst of envy.

Of course, not everyone is getting better and better.

Shopkeeper Zhang of Fengming Bookstore is an exception.

"It doesn't look like there's anyone coming today." The waiter sat lazily by the door of the shop, holding a handful of melon seeds and said while nibbling, "Uncle Zhang, why don't we close today so I can go out for a stroll. "

"It's closed, you know it's closed!" Shopkeeper Zhang gave the other party a hard look. This guy is also surnamed Zhang and named Yuan. He is his distant nephew, so that's why he is so indifferent.But the advantage of letting him be the mistress is also obvious, that is, I don't have to pay another salary, and I only need to include food and housing.

When it comes to salary, shopkeeper Zhang can't help but feel a heartache.The Bureau of Affairs first vigorously promoted the new type of banknotes, and then stipulated that the salary of recruits in Jinxia City should not be lower than [-] per month. Anyone who violated the law, as long as they reported to the Bureau, they would be fined more than ten times.Converting five hundred taels into silver is not a small amount. In the past, the salary that could be met with only a few dozen copper coins and rice porridge now requires a few taels of silver. This price difference is like making the Fengming Bookstore worse.

"If I close the shop, what would you eat? You eat melon seeds in the street, do you know that this is a bookstore? The bookstore pays attention to an elegant style, how can anyone come to patronize you with your appearance?"

"Come on, everyone knows that no one reads the books you sell, and it's useless for me to burn incense and chant scriptures at the door of the store." Zhang Yuan curled his lips, "Uncle, it's better to close the store earlier, so I can go to a certain place in the port. To make a living. Not to mention how much you earn, you can also enjoy the support of the government, isn't it better than being a waiter in a shop?"

"You...reversely!" Shopkeeper Zhang stomped his feet repeatedly.

Zhang Yuan sighed, this is not the first time this kind of dispute has occurred, "I'm just telling the truth, uncle, why don't you understand. You didn't join the school to serve as the bookseller, you were destined to be defeated. After all, people don't agree with you. Guan Dou, you can't beat them."

Shopkeeper Zhang hesitated.

It was the last word he wanted to hear.

However, he also knew that what the other party said was true.Now if you want to ask what is the best-selling printed matter in Jinxia City, it is undoubtedly the Shenjin Weekly, followed by school textbooks.As for the records of ancient scriptures and classics of poetry and prose, no one cares about them in just a few months. Even the bookstore’s most prosperous business in the past—books of poems written at parties and printed by scholars at their own expense, Now they are all gone.

At the beginning, the secretariat had invited Fengming Bookstore to participate in the supplier negotiation, but when shopkeeper Zhang heard that he needed to pay a large deposit and that the secretariat would get a part of the bookstore's shares, he did not sign the agreement in the end.This store is regarded as Zhang family's ancestral business he inherited, how can he hand it over to others in his own hands?

Of course, judging the battle situation was also one of his biggest mistakes.

Shopkeeper Zhang never expected that Princess Guangping not only gained a firm foothold in Shenzhou, but also completely overthrew the original government, making the Bureau of Affairs a new office in power.

Old books can't be sold, and new books can't be printed and sold. Fengming Bookstore has become an anomaly in Jinxia's steamy scene.

"I know you are reluctant, Uncle, but long-term pain is worse than short-term pain." Zhang Yuan persuaded, "The main business of the bookstore is printing, but the printing workshop behind you hasn't started work for two months, do you still expect to be able to do it one day?" Turn over? Unless Her Royal Highness falls—”

Before he finished speaking, the shopkeeper rushed over and covered his mouth.

"If you want to die, don't implicate me!"

"Ahem..." Zhang Yuan broke free, "I just use it to describe the impossibility of this matter. Uncle, you can tidy up these rooms and make a small restaurant. It's actually quite good. As long as the house is there, why not inherit it? Ancestral business?"

This made the shopkeeper hesitate a bit.

Catering is indeed the most prosperous business in Jinxia City recently. Even if the pancake noodle soup is well-made, it can attract a large number of customers who are willing to pay.

At this moment, there was a slapping sound outside the front yard, as if someone was knocking on the door plaque of the bookstore.

Could it be that there are guests coming?

But why didn't he just come in?

Without thinking too much, the shopkeeper gave his nephew a push, "Go and have a look." He tidied up his clothes, pretended to be in order and sat back at the counter.

After a while, Zhang Yuan walked back from the street rubbing his head.

There was no second person following him, but there was an extra book in his hand.

Chapter 824 A Shocking Work

"Where are the guests?" Shopkeeper Zhang was disappointed.

"There are no guests at all, you better stop fantasizing, Uncle."

"Then what are you holding?"

"Someone left it at the door. When I went out, I only saw a figure from the back. It was small and looked like a little girl." Zhang Yuan threw the book on the counter, not even interested in flipping through it.

"Little girl?" The shopkeeper frowned, "Isn't it a school textbook?"

"Who knows." Zhang Yuan shrugged, and went back to the door to continue eating melon seeds.If he was in his hometown, he would definitely doubt his eyes. After all, girls don't go out easily, especially when they are in their teens.However, after a period of time in Jinxia City, he gradually got used to it. Here, the government even encourages women to step out of the house, enter school or participate in work. Although not everyone can accept it, the proportion of women haunting the streets is far higher than in other towns high.

Shopkeeper Zhang tore open the outer cover, revealing the complete appearance of the book - he noticed that this is not a complete book, there is no binding line on the side, all the papers are scattered and stacked, and the font size is also different, obviously Not a printed product.

Is this a... manuscript?