(I'm very sorry everyone!) The unit is working overtime these days. From tomorrow, we will resume at least 6,000 words per day, thank you for your long-term support, please continue to appreciate your face. Thank you! ）

After half a month of construction of 10,000 people, Rihito built the first church of the Illuminati on a desert island, and by the way, he also built the first seaside castle on the island, on which the only four remaining copper cannons were erected. Strengthened the desert island's defenses.

Even so, Liren was still not satisfied, what she needed now was a real artillery, a cannon that could shoot at least five miles. However, this requires the cooperation of his latest research on steel, but now the research on steel on the island is just beginning, and casting cannons from molten steel is a great challenge for all the craftsmen on the island.

Rihito summoned the oldest of the blacksmiths and coppersmiths, as well as Merlin, to study the further casting of steel. Merlin also did not have much constructive opinion about the fact that steel was also based on cast copper. The other craftsmen were meditating hard to gain Rihito's appreciation.

After looking at the artillery drawings drawn by Rihito, a coppersmith asked, "Can I tell me my suggestion, Lord of the Big Island?" ”

"Say," said Rihito, looking at the coppersmith affirmatively.

The coppersmith settled his mind and said, "Steel is obviously hotter than copper, and if we use the method of casting copper cannons, bubbles may form in the barrels, which often occurred in the earliest copper cannons." However, those of us still don't know anything about steel, and the only experience we have is the 100 steels made by Master Wu. But now there is a forging that is different from 100 steels, and in my opinion, we might as well cast while experimenting, and if one can be successful, we will have experience. With that, the coppersmith took a deep breath and watched how Rihito reacted to his words.

After thinking deeply, Rihito looked at Merlin, who shrugged and said, "Don't look at me, I don't know anything about casting or anything like that, if I can make some suggestions on gears and mechanisms." ”

Li Ren smiled helplessly at him, and said to everyone: "Okay, now we can only try according to Master Chen's method, but you have to send someone to say a word to you and record it, so as to find the best way." ”

These masters themselves are illiterate, and they usually act according to what they have learned from their masters and what they have learned. If the officers are not sloppy at all, it is not their specialty. So it's very good that a person can say something, and now Liren has made a decision, and they can't ask for it to leave such a restrictive environment immediately.

The next day, after presiding over the consecration of the church, Rihito hurried to the steel mill to do his own business. On a small hill in the steel mill, the foundation of a large windmill had been built according to Rihito's requirements, and Merlin was determining the location of each part, when he saw Rihito, Merlin happily ran to him and said, "Big island, look, if all the copper gears and axles are installed in it, this windmill will drive all our steelmill blowers." ”

Rihito looked at his excited face and said with disdain: "You also know about copper gears and axles, but do you know how much these cost?" Moreover, the hardness of copper gears is obviously not enough, let alone copper axles, which can only solve the needs of the moment. In the long run~! At this point, Liren deliberately paused and looked at Merlin slyly.

Merlin turned his head, and suddenly thought that Rihito must have a way to strengthen the hardness of the windmill gear with other materials, and immediately she put it on: "Big Island Master!" Why bother with such a rambling, you can say what you have. Don't let me hold it to myself, okay? ”

"Good is good, I have a condition, you must agree!" Rihito said with a grin.

Merlin was stupid as long as it was about gears, and immediately said, "Big Island Master! Whatever you tell me is what I can do. ”

"Are you sure?" Rihito continued to ask.

Merlin nodded, and Liren continued: "Okay, I want to set up an academy of sciences to be responsible for the study of novelty, convenience, speed, and other items, and now I need a person in charge, since you have agreed, it is you." Hey! Don't go back, that's what you promised. Knowing that Merlin had been calculated by himself, Liren was very happy in his heart.

Merlin suddenly said depressedly: "Big Island Master, can you please not assign me a position, so that I will have nothing to do." ”

Li Ren suddenly waved his hand and said, "This is all promised by yourself, but I didn't force you." It's too late to regret it. ”

Merlin immediately nodded in resignation, and then asked, "Big Island Lord!" Now you can say that, right? ”

"Huh! There are no secrets either. Steel is the best alternative to copper. Rihito said with a smile.

Merlin now felt a little like scolding, and stared at Rihito fiercely for a long time. Rihito said as if unconsciously, "Since you are now the president of the Academy of Sciences, you can't just understand such a little thing. ”

As soon as Li Ren said this, Merlin interrupted: "By the way, what is the Academy of Sciences? ”

"Oh! I forgot to explain it to you! Hehe! Mistakes, you see, science is people who advocate truth and truth, who never-ending exploration and practice, and tend to approach the truth in stages. To put it bluntly, artillery can shoot iron eggs out, but why can it shoot out? This requires you to slowly use various methods to test, to confirm, to understand, to explain, and so on, anyway, to figure out why. This is the explanation of the term science in its simplest form. After smiling at this time, Liren said seriously.

Merlin listened for a long time and said, "Oh! It's called science, but I still don't understand it! ”

When Li Ren heard this, he was immediately shocked, and immediately said with a straight face: "Forget it, it's a blank explanation to explain to you now, and when I bring you the book of basic physics I originally wrote in the evening, you will understand." ”

Liren said that he would fight here, but Merlin didn't listen to it at all now, and asked Liren directly: "Is steel really better than copper gears?" ”

Liren rolled his eyes and said, "Of course, think about it, a copper knife and a steel knife cut each other, which one will break first?" ”

"Steel knives, copper knives, that's definitely copper knives." Merlin thought about it and nodded.

"You can teach, now that you understand, go and study with the masters how to cast steel, and the windmills here will stop first." Li Ren hurriedly finished giving orders to Merlin, and Merlin ran to the steelmaking furnace.

Before coming to the steel-making furnace, Merlin had already been fascinated by steel, and immediately ran to the middle of the masters to help, and whether he still paid attention, it must be someone who has read now, Merlin came for a while, and found three ways to cast steel cannons.

Li Ren was also thinking about steel with his mind full of his mind, because he knew that his current power could not guarantee that he would not be 100% attacked by others, and he must have a hidden killer weapon in his hands, so that he would not be afraid of provocations and attacks from others during the anti-war period in the next few years.

Now Riehito is not only thinking about artillery, he needs more than a front-loading smoothbore gun, that is, a flintlock pistol. Only the advent of the flintlock pistol can make oneself have a certain grasp of the victory of the world. Some time ago, cold weapons such as Zhuge crossbows and longbows could be imitated by a thoughtful craftsman. Moreover, if you have to face the cavalry from the north, you can also have convenient guns to deal with them.

Thinking of this, Rihito looked deeply at the north and said, "I hope that guns can really beat mounted shooting!" ”