Chapter 585 - Cannon Foundry

But to let people know the benefits of machinery, they must see it to believe it. The transmigrators couldn't drag everyone to Lingao to witness their industrial capability; the only way was to set up a model on the mainland. Since Li Luoyou wanted to build a gun factory, this was the best prototype. Wu De believed the efficiency demonstrated by these machines in production would have a huge impact on the natives, enough to spark their interest in new technology and equipment.

"Handicrafts and commerce in the late Ming were very developed; a group of workshop owners already exists," Wu De said. "We can't intervene in Jiangnan for a while, but Guangdong has potential. By upgrading equipment, we can cause a batch of new factories to rise locally, mastering relatively primitive but scaled industrial production capabilities. This lays a foundation for our future control of the Pearl River Delta and its industrialization."

In the long run, controlling equipment manufacturing meant controlling all manufacturing. Such technology diffusion wouldn't harm Lingao's technological hegemony, and continuous external orders would stimulate Lingao's local equipment manufacturing industry.

"But can people of Great Ming link gun factories with productivity? Seeing it, they'll at most think: this Australian gun factory is powerful, but that's it. They won't link it to civilian industries like weaving and spinning."

"Mm, I also doubt it," Zhan Wuya said. "Modern people live in an industrial society and have basic industrial common sense. Ancients, especially ordinary merchants, probably lack this associative ability."

"Foundry owners might realize it. For example, mechanized blowers."

"We can't underestimate native creativity too much," Wu De said. "Besides, windmills and water turbines exist domestically. We're providing an upgraded version with better efficiency and higher output—the value of these two is clear to most people."

At this point Wen Desi coughed: "I want to query something. According to our strategy, we uphold 'non-interference' and 'mainland balance'; now, not selling guns to Great Ming but directly exporting gun-making tools—isn't military technology diffusion against strategic policy?"

"I think it's negligible," Wu De said. "Wang Zunde himself is a gun-making fanatic. Every time he organizes casting, it's by the hundreds. We provide equipment merely to make his guns slightly better quality and faster to manufacture. The most direct result is just enabling him to make a few more cannons."

Wu De said: "Finally, even if we gave them 12-pound Napoleon cannons now, I don't think Ming troops can do anything to the Jianzhou Jurchens. A few new weapons can't change anything."

More cannons wouldn't save Great Ming's fate; history proved this. Sun Yuanhua hiring Portuguese instructors to train a new army using Western firearms in Dengzhou ended with annihilation in internal strife, proving "tools" couldn't save Great Ming. Thus, transmigrators selling some equipment to Great Ming wouldn't qualitatively change the mainland balance.

"Gentlemen, I remind everyone not to forget one issue," Yu Eshui jumped out to remind everyone again. "After Zheng Zhilong accepted pacification, he got large aid from Xiong Wencan. From large warships to cannons, the Fujian Provincial Administration gave him much aid. Guangdong and Fujian are neighbors, and Wang Zunde is a major gun-maker; likely some cannons will flow into Zheng Zhilong's hands."

"Zheng Zhilong is busy fighting Li Kuiqi himself; otherwise he'd have come to hit us long ago," Wu De was dismissive. "Even if a few guns fall to him, they'll be used on Li Kuiqi."

This issue was debated for a long time in the State Meeting. Finally a compromise was reached: export only water turbines, windmills, gearboxes, blowers, and cannon boring machines, but not iron mold casting technology—the latter boosted production speed too much. Though some estimated Great Ming's tragic financial state made making too many cannons unlikely.

Then someone proposed in the State Meeting that while technology diffusion was inevitable, how to diffuse and what to diffuse should be evaluated by a specialized department to avoid threatening the strategic situation.

Thus it was decided to establish a "Technology Coordination Office" under the Ministry of Science and Technology, specifically responsible for evaluating exported technology and products.

Li Luoyou didn't know a secret meeting was held for this issue. In the following days he was leisurely, touring everywhere. Liu San, intending to show strength, also arranged for him to visit everywhere.

The Holy Ship was now a hot attraction. For someone with state guest qualifications like Li Luoyou, he certainly had to see it. Early the next morning, Liu San accompanied him by carriage to Bopu, entering the naval pier surrounded by barbed wire.

Li Luoyou carefully observed the Australian soldiers wearing blue uniforms and straw hats. They were different from soldiers seen in East Gate Market; besides blue uniforms, they wore round, flat-topped straw hats with black ribbons, trailing two streamers behind the neck.

Liu San prepared new "IDs" for him and Quark, stamped with prominent red seals "Valid Today" and "Valid Once."

After checking IDs and documents, Liu San led them onto a gig boat, heading for the Fengcheng.

When Li Luoyou stepped onto the Fengcheng's deck, standing on this high and open deck with sea breeze blowing, his legs suddenly couldn't move.

With difficulty he regulated his breathing, slowly stepping forward. Beneath his feet was rough steel plating. Huge rusty chains. Li Luoyou carefully walked to the gunwale and looked down into the dark green rippling water, feeling a wave of dizziness, quickly retracting his gaze.

Although a ship, he felt no swaying or heaving. Truly solid as a rock.

Li Luoyou touched the cold steel gunwale. This ship exceeded his comprehension. He pondered a moment and asked Liu San: "This ship is so huge, how does it move?"

"Using machines."

"Machines?" Li Luoyou asked. "If not animal traction, then windmills or waterwheels. Windmills and waterwheels obviously can't work; are there many horses and oxen driving it inside? How many would that take!"

"Even many horses and oxen couldn't drive it." Liu San thought Li Luoyou had some insight, having the concept of "power." "It uses the power of steam."

Actually Fengcheng used a large marine diesel engine. Liu San felt unable to explain the internal combustion engine concept, so he picked a simple one.

"Steam? Can I see it?"

"Why not? But the machine on this ship is huge, and it's dark below, hard to see clearly. There are similar but smaller ones in the factory."

"Ship machines can also be used in workshops?"

"Why not?" Liu San found it strange.

Li Luoyou didn't pursue it, staring long at the Armstrong rifled heavy gun on deck pan-glowing with blue light, looking at the circular sliding track below and the huge conical shell standing beside it.

Originally he suspected this gun was a fake for show. Aside from anything else, could human strength move such a giant gun? But if such an iron ship could be driven from Australia ten thousand miles away to Lingao, what was this gun?

Australians invested such capital here; they had such sharp weapons!

Thinking here, the hope of buying guns from Lingao suddenly became very urgent. He suddenly whispered to Liu San: "Any news from your superiors regarding selling guns?"

Although Liu San hadn't received formal notification, the meeting situation had been communicated to him. Selling guns was definitely off. he equivocated: "Haven't heard yet."

"If this matter gains Third Master's assistance, I would be endlessly grateful!" Saying so, he signaled with his eyes.

Liu San naturally understood. Not to mention actually helping, just leaking a bit of wind would bring valuable gifts immediately. The ginseng he wanted to give Li Mei yesterday, unbeknownst of quality, certainly wasn't cheap. Detailed investigation or asking favors would surely prompt this Great Manager Li to give a hundred-year premium old mountain ginseng without hesitation.

But this benefit absolutely couldn't be taken. A report about Li Luoyou wanting to gift Li Mei had arrived that night. He could only equivocate: "This matter requires patience."

Li Luoyou pretended to gaze at the sea view, asking in a barely audible voice: "Which persons need my attention?"

Liu San had to pretend not to hear.

Seeing these Australians dead set against bribes, Li Luoyou was disappointed. Thinking again, they indeed didn't lack ordinary wealth; as for ginseng, perhaps overseas people didn't know its benefits. Seems only the beauty trap might work.

Calculating all the way, he was brought to the Bopu Arsenal. This was the transmigrator collective's main artillery manufacturing base, producing for both army and navy. However, navy demand was high, so current production focused on naval guns.

For safety, this arsenal itself was a fortress, with stone foundations, red brick walls, bastion-style main gate, and moat. Heavily armed Marines stood guard before the gate tower. Huge roars and crashing sounds constantly came from within the high red brick walls; white and black smoke constantly emanated from behind the walls. The air smelled pungent and biting.

Li Luoyou hesitated, seeing Quark also hesitant. This place looked frightening. Both involuntarily crossed themselves and silently recited a scripture before following Liu San inside.

Inside the arsenal were iron-framed buildings, each three stories high, doors open, containing black steel machines roaring tirelessly. On iron rail tracks, workers pushed sliding carts loaded with iron ingots and steel blocks.

They visited the casting workshop. The massive heat from over a dozen operating cupola furnaces made the two almost unstable. Workers were wrapped tight, faces covered with towels, wearing black eye-shields.

Red-hot iron water hissed flowing into pouring gates. Smoke filled the air. Quark coughed violently, covering his face and fleeing.

Li Luoyou was much better. Since planning to undertake gun casting, he often watched workers cast guns in Foshan. So he could endure it—he really wanted to see how the famous "Australian Cannons" were made.

As it looked now, Australian casting didn't exceed his expectations: making molds, pouring. Of course their scale was much larger, using more tools and equipment, working much faster than Foshan workers.

But he immediately discovered differences in the next workshop—the cast cannon blanks were solid! How to use? He saw workers use a crane to lift blanks into hot ovens for heating. When ready, blanks were lifted again, finding the red-hot blank carefully hoisted onto an iron sliding cart, clamped between huge iron jaws, then the jaws turned ninety degrees. Workers pushed the cart to a large drop-hammer machine.

Amidst steam, Li Luoyou watched the huge iron hammer slide from the top frame, ruthlessly pounding the red-hot cannon blank. Workers operated iron clamps, turning the blank during intervals when the hammer was lifted, allowing the hammer to strike inch by inch. Red sparks constantly burst out amidst huge hammering sounds. Hard iron blocks changed shape like dough under the hammer.

The huge vibration and heat made the group unable to stay nearby for a minute. Li Luoyou was soaked in sweat after watching a short while.

Pungent smells, thick smoke, huge noise, and powerful force demonstrated by machines—neither Li Luoyou nor Quark had seen such scenes. Quark had seen England's textile mills and shipyards, but compared to here, they were quiet gardens.

Workers in clothes stained black by smoke and sweat worked amidst smoke and noise, operating huge machines, running and shouting. Dozens pushed a machine together, muscles bulging, looking martial and powerful. Li Luoyou felt his hair stand on end. This seemed like a devil's armory, a hellish smithy!

A fear soaked his heart. He felt he was losing self-control—God, was his soul to be lost here? He prayed secretly, feeling he should leave immediately, but an unprecedented power kept him from leaving. He vaguely realized he saw something he shouldn't see; a power, a power no one in this world had ever seen or harnessed. A door suddenly opened to him; he uncontrollably wanted to see clearly.

Forged cannon blanks were sent away on iron sliding carts. Li Luoyou saw them again in the next workshop. He thought these shouldn't be the ones just forged, as piles of blanks sat there. Here stood many black machines on stone bases. On the roof, iron shafts spun rapidly, extending many belts downwards, spinning rapidly, driving many iron wheels.

Hammered steel castings were mounted on huge iron beds, slowly advancing at an angle. Looking closely, he found the cannon blank spinning rapidly towards a knife-like object; strands of iron shavings flew continuously from the cannon body. Meanwhile, foul-smelling oil dripped constantly on the cannon, seemingly flowing from the knife.

Soon, the originally rough hammered surface became a blue-shining smooth surface.

Li Luoyou stood dumbfounded. "Slicing iron like mud"—these words appeared in his mind. He'd seen Japanese swords slice iron like mud, but those were made of hundred-refined steel, taking countless efforts, treasured even in Japan. Australians actually used such treasure knives to peel cannons!

The next scene shocked him even more. A cannon blank fixed on a rack, a multi-edged steel drill spinning rapidly, rotating into the center of the solid blank. Iron shavings were brought out by the drill head, mixed with black sewage. A smell of hot iron mixed with grease filled the air.

So the bore was drilled with a knife! Australian knives were so formidable! Li Luoyou thought, this wasn't wood, but a big iron block! Iron hitting iron at most chipped; how could it dig a hole?

Finally, he saw finished products. Cannon barrels of various sizes shone blue, mounted on iron racks of sliding carts. Li Luoyou calculated secretly: just this casting workshop was making over fifty cannons simultaneously! In Foshan, with workers and materials sufficient, it would take five or six months—just drying a clay mold for pouring took a month.

"Truly breathtaking!" Li Luoyou felt soul-shaking shock. "No wonder everyone says Australian firearms are peerless! Cannons made this way, how can a few blacksmiths melting iron and pouring compare!"

Quark also nodded: "Manager Li, this gun factory is a hundred times better than the best in Britain—Europe!" He inhaled greedily. "If they opened full capacity, conquering all of China wouldn't be hard!"

"Expand production?" Li Luoyou was shocked.

"Didn't you see many machines weren't running?" Quark said. "If all started..." He shook his head. "Manager Li, regarding proper gun factory matters, I think it's unnecessary."

Li Luoyou didn't know he had settled the slave trade deal with transmigrators; having a faster, easier money channel, he lost interest in the foundry and used this to decline. Li Luoyou thought he spoke from sincerity and nodded: "Only this national sharp weapon, they may not be willing to sell."

Liu San seeing them looking somewhat lost, hurriedly invited them to the arsenal office to rest, serving hot towels and iced kvass. Spirits somewhat settled, Li Luoyou immediately had a pile of questions; why cast solid then drill instead of hollow? What knife cuts iron? Why hammer the cannon body?

Liu San professed ignorance to all questions. Li Luoyou thought he was preserving secrecy and stopped asking. Actually Liu San wasn't an engineering major; he really didn't know.

(End of Chapter)