Since Qi Zhentao was so polite, Ye Tao didn't say much, and after a few words in Dai Qiuyan's ear, he lovingly stroked Dai Qiuyan's head and then let Qi Zhu take the little girl away. "Old man, you should still have a set of tools I have here, right? How about getting it from someone who is tired of sending someone to get it? ”

When the tool was in hand, Ye Tao completely entered the state. The back panel of the grandfather clock is disassembled, and the entire structure of the grandfather clock comes into view. Ye Tao was a little surprised, this table clock with a luxurious appearance but not extravagant, showing an aristocratic temperament everywhere, has an internal structure that makes people laugh and cry. The winding mechanism holds two springs at the same time, one for the pendulum to swing and the other for driving the dial of the table clock for timekeeping. It is no wonder that the fault of this clock described by Qi Zhentao does not include inaccurate time, it turns out that this clock is not driven by the equivalence principle of the pendulum at all, and the beautiful pendulum below is purely bluffing. Moreover, although the clock-driven clock was delicately structured, the movement did not seem to have been designed to drive such a large dial and hands, and the larger hands caused a great burden on the already delicate and delicate structure of the movement. It is estimated that this clock was deliberately made up by some sculptors with taste and a little understanding of mechanical principles to fool people. And the problem is not serious now, there is just a problem with the winding head, it is estimated that it is caused by the shaking in the long-distance sea transportation, or improper handling process. In a few clicks, the clockwork mechanism was screwed on, and the huge grandfather clock began to tick again. The whole process was too short compared to the few hours Ye Tao expected, and it didn't even take a quarter of an hour.

Qi Zhentao excitedly walked around the table clock a few times, patted Ye Tao's shoulder hard, and said, "Boy, you really have the ability." Since you have repaired it well, can you build it? ”

Ye Tao pursed his lips and asked, "Don't be busy talking about this first, old man, who is the one who bought the clock, and what did the seller tell you?" ”

Qi Zhentao was stunned for a moment and asked: "I don't know this, it's the old fleet that runs the Western Ocean, and now I don't know where it is." What's wrong, there's a problem? Isn't this pendulum clock the most accurate clock to walk today? Is the seller wrong to say that? ”

Sure enough, it's bullying a layman. Ye Tao shook his head and said, "The pendulum clock is the most accurate clock, but the problem is that this bell is not a pendulum clock." After explaining a little about the connection of several gears and clockwork, and explaining how the driving force of the clockwork is distributed in this clock, Qi Zhentao was furious: "Mom, it's a bastard, and the deceitful person actually deceived the old man." Go back and let the old guy settle the account, this thing asked me for 20,000 taels of gold. ”

Ye Tao thought for a while and said, "Old man, in fact, if you want to say 20,000 taels of gold, this bell may not be worthless. In fact, the seller of the pendulum clock may have a problem. The pendulum clock is indeed the most accurate bell now, yes, but the grandfather clock is not something that can be used everywhere, from south to north, maybe a few hundred miles away, the clock has an error, maybe a day or two does not feel anything, but over time, this error is considerable. Can someone else explain this to you? I'm afraid I can't say it for three days and two nights. However, this clockwork clock, no matter where it goes, it should be as accurate as it should be, and there is not much difference. If you want to use it on your ship, the pendulum clock can only be used as an ornament, but this clockwork thing can be used. That's why I have to ask, old man, what kind of do you want to build? ”

Qi Zhentao thought about it for a while, but first had a question: "You kid has never left Yicheng, how do you know the truth of this pendulum clock?" ”

Ye Tao said confidently: "Your clock is the first one in Yicheng, how can I have seen it, boy?" You know that I know that Muhammad very well, and I asked him to bring me some Western books every time he came, you know that, right? That's what it says in the book. Ye Tao used Muhammad as a shield several times. Anyway, that guy may not be able to come to Yicheng once a year, and when he comes, maybe Qi Zhentao will have forgotten about this matter a long time ago. Moreover, even if Qi Zhentao asked Muhammad to verify it at that time, he would not be able to verify any results, Muhammad's house was almost illiterate except for settling accounts and sailing, and he would never remember what books he tossed for Ye Tao.

Qi Zhentao obviously accepted Ye Tao's statement, nodded, and said, "Can you make two bells?" Now that you know the truth of the pendulum clock, you should be able to make it, right? I originally thought that with so many fleets under my command, the affairs were getting busier and busier now, and it was too fucked up to roughly talk about arranging docks, loading and unloading, and sailing trips in the morning, noon, and afternoon. Last time, the four fleets were crowded on the dock for almost a day, which made Peng Detian's gang laugh at me for a while. There's a real need for an accurate timekeeping device on board. Since the pendulum clock is not used, then what spring clock is OK, even if there is an error, Yicheng Port proofread once, Quanzhou Port proofread once, and it will be improvised. But this pendulum clock is still a good deal. Put it at home, have an accurate time to do things, whether it is a family matter or a business matter, there is a charter, no matter how you look at it, it is a good deal. Moreover, since the pendulum clock is accurate, it is good to get one at the port or something, and use it as a time proofreading. ”

Qi Zhentao's simple business experience is extremely keen. The accurate concept of time will only be popularized when the level of economic development and management has developed to a certain extent. Yicheng Port now has a sundial every half a mile, which is the reason. However, the current busyness of Yicheng Port is that the command of the sundial to determine the time period for sectional entry, loading and unloading and other work is also a little unbearable. For example, Qi Zhentao and others have dozens or hundreds of big ships under their hands, and they are sea merchants with Yicheng as the core of their business, and it is not once or twice that they encounter several fleets crowded together and make a mess like headless flies. However, Ye Tao is really not sure how much time he will be able to get the pendulum clock and clockwork clock out. The requirements for materials and processing accuracy, even if it is the current Ye's workshop, are indeed insufficient. If you make one or two to set the score, that's no problem, but if you want to mass produce, it is estimated that the "equalization conical wheel" in the clockwork clock alone can torture him to death.

"Old man......" wanted to complain, but was stopped by Qi Zhentao.

"I only ask you, can you make it, or can't you make it? As for the difficulty of making it, that's another story. Qi Zhentao said.

"If you can build one, you can build one and build a hundred, is that the same thing?" Ye Tao said with a wry smile: "Now, the lathe of Ye's workshop can achieve the accuracy of wooden components within one-fifth of a millimeter. But to make a clock that is accurate enough, to find a way to make all the parts accurate within 10th of a millimeter, or even 1/20th of a millimeter, I can't do it now. Moreover, the processing of metal parts is another matter. ”

Qi Zhentao was not surprised, but nodded and said: "It's not surprising, I boasted at the beginning that even if the workshops in Franks that can make pendulum clocks are similar, they may not be able to get one in a month." If you say it's going to be overwhelming, then I don't believe it. ”

When Ye Tao heard this, he hurriedly said, "Old man, why don't you put this matter aside first, and talk about it later." Maybe in a few years, it will be a matter of course. ”

Qi Zhentao looked at Ye Tao with interest and said, "How many years? No way. I know what you're capable of, and if you concentrate on it, it won't take long. Didn't you just want to go to the capital to toss that Yi Zhan Building? The little girl and you have been friends for less than a month, you are willing to take out such a good business and partner with others, my file is not bad, and I am biased, which is too uninteresting, right? I don't want you to be able to build it in the workshop tomorrow, but I want to say that everything that is made is inseparable from its origin, it is all technology, tools, materials, all of which are indispensable. Since you have this technology, tools and materials, that is, a matter of time and money, put you in the game building and those things that your students and workers can easily deal with, this is not good, what a good time. You pay for the time, I pay for it, and our guy is agreed. ”