The "Rocket Swarm" was the pinnacle of Ming Dynasty firearms.
Unlike the intricate designs of mechanical hidden weapons, it relied entirely on the propulsion generated by gunpowder to launch arrows. The number of arrows loaded was not fixed and depended on the size of the launch tube, with most models using thirty-two or forty-nine as the standard.
When attacking, one only needed to ignite the fuse, and the pre-loaded arrows would be launched at an extremely high speed.
With further modifications, the outer tube could be cast in iron to fire lead pellets.
Li Xun came here with the mindset of doing his best since he was already involved, but he didn't expect such a pleasant surprise upon arriving at the factory.
In a few years, if every disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School were fully armed and each carried a "Rocket Swarm," who wouldn't be intimidated?
Li Xun watched as several youths ignited the fuse, and the arrows shot out like skyrockets. He nodded in approval.
Due to the insufficient kinetic energy provided by the gunpowder, the arrows didn't fly very far. Wang Cheng and his companions looked at Li Xun with some anxiety.
"Although this weapon isn't precise, it is crucial for future development."
Li Xun clapped his hands with a smile: "You've done well. This is a pioneering product. What you need to consider next is how to continuously optimize it."
"Power, accuracy, and the propulsion of the gunpowder—if you can improve these, it will become a qualified weapon."
Encouraged by his words, Wang Cheng and his companions' faces flushed with excitement, and they nodded repeatedly.
Among the two thousand or so children below, some were envious, some jealous, and many were unconvinced.
Most of them had seen what Wang Cheng and his team were working on.
Some had even thought that Wang Cheng and his companions were wasting time on toys instead of focusing on learning their craft. Who would have thought that a large wooden box like this could earn the factory director's approval?
Li Xun looked around. Now was the perfect time to use Wang Cheng's invention to stimulate everyone's enthusiasm.
After a moment of thought, he said: "Although Wang Cheng's weapon has many flaws, the concept is excellent. Considering that they achieved such a level on their first attempt, I have decided to reward each of them with one hundred Gold Soul Coins. Moreover, as the weapon is gradually perfected, they will receive further rewards."
"And when this weapon officially goes into production, each one will bear their names."
Li Xun pointed to the empty space next to the factory: "There, we will build a weapons exhibition hall to showcase the outstanding weapons crafted by each master."
"From now on, anyone involved in weapon development will have a clear promotion path, with the highest honor being the title of Grandmaster."
Li Xun smiled and began to clap: "Although Wang Cheng's weapon is crude, it has great potential. Once perfected, it will be displayed in the exhibition hall. For this, I will grant them the title of First-Level Pioneer in advance."
Seeing Li Xun's high praise for Wang Cheng and his team, the others, though unconvinced, tactfully joined in the applause.
"I didn't see you when I returned from the academy, so I knew you must have come down the mountain." After the crowd dispersed, Ning Rongrong emerged from the group, making a funny face.
"Did you hitch a ride back with Grandpa Dugu?"
Seeing Ning Rongrong's playful expression, Li Xun chuckled: "You came back just in time. There should be something fun happening in the next couple of days."
In a large warehouse at Blue Lightning Advanced Academy, Tang San let out a deep sigh and slumped back into his chair.
"Finally, it's all assembled…"
Tang San looked at the piles of Zhuge Divine Crossbows on the table and the floor, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Including these two hundred, that makes a total of two thousand Zhuge hand crossbows, plus the Hidden Sand Projectiles, back crossbows, and sleeve arrows… If they need repairs in the future, it'll be a decent source of income."
However, considering his current financial status after settling the final payment, Tang San figured there wouldn't be much need for further collaboration.
Tang San left the warehouse, locked the door, and found the person responsible for contacting buyers among the students.
Soon, he received a response.
"I wonder which faction this buyer belongs to. Their network is so vast that they even have subordinates within the academy."
Tang San marveled inwardly, then narrowed his eyes after a moment of thought. "Maybe I can get them to help me find out who's been stealing Xiao Wu's things."
Recently, whether Xiao Wu had offended someone or someone harbored ill intentions toward her, her clothes and accessories kept disappearing.
He and the others from Shrek Academy had investigated this several times, even alerting the academy teachers, but to no avail.
"Junior Tang San, where are the goods? We'll handle the moving. The manager is waiting for you outside the academy." Just as Tang San was deep in thought, a voice pulled him back to reality.
"Alright."
Tang San nodded and handed over the warehouse key. Watching the workers begin to move the goods, he headed toward the academy gate.
"Brother, you're out!" Xiao Wu, who had been wandering around, brightened up when she saw Tang San and skipped over to him.
Tang San smiled and patted her head. "Yes, it's finally done. Come with me to collect the money."
"We're rich again!" Xiao Wu's eyes sparkled as she grinned widely, tightly clinging to Tang San's arm.
"Manager Wu, if there are no issues with the order, please settle my final payment."
As soon as Tang San and Xiao Wu stepped out of the academy, they saw a frowning Fatty sitting anxiously in the front carriage.
"Oh, my dear Young Master Tang! You've finally delivered the last two hundred Zhuge Divine Crossbows!" Manager Wu forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Because of you, I've been scolded every day and almost couldn't make ends meet."
"Heh, I had some family matters to deal with recently, and I've been quite busy, so it got delayed." Tang San quickly made up an excuse.
Due to the affairs of the Power Clan, he had been hiding outside the city for over half a month. When he returned, the approaching Soul Master Competition kept their teacher pushing them hard in training, leaving him little time to work on the order.
"Sigh! You can explain that to the Gold Soul Coins." Manager Wu sighed and handed Tang San a few purple cards. "Your delay of one and a half months has resulted in a penalty of three hundred thousand."
"A delay, and a penalty of three hundred thousand? Why so much?" Tang San was stunned, his expression gradually darkening.
"What? You're deducting three hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins? Why don't you just rob us?"
Xiao Wu's eyes widened in shock as she glared at Manager Wu. "You merchants are downright ruthless!"
"Master Tang and this young lady, please don't be in a hurry. The higher-ups have actually undercharged you. Otherwise, with Master Tang's delay of half a month, an additional 150,000 would have been deducted."
Manager Wu handed the prepared copy of the contract to Tang San: "This is the contract you signed earlier. Please take a careful look to see if there's a clause about overdue payments."
"Master Tang, this is a business worth over 20 million, not a small deal you can bargain over at a street stall."
Xiao Wu snatched the contract: "I remember there wasn't such a clause before. Did you shady merchants add it later?"
Tang San took the contract from Xiao Wu's hands and examined it carefully, finding it indeed identical to his own copy.
Considering that he had indeed breached the contract first, although he felt the pinch of the 300,000 Gold Soul Coins, he had no reason to hold them accountable.
"Xiao Wu, the contract is indeed correct. It's just our fault for not reading it carefully and falling into their trap." Tang San stopped Xiao Wu, who was about to say more.
As he signed the receipt with a grim face, a thought struck him: "With your employer acting this way, does it mean they no longer intend to have me for repairs and orders in the future?"
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