As the scientists of Gao Family Village embarked on a new round of research, a different scene unfolded at the Chang'an Automobile Factory.As the scientists of Gao Family Village embarked on a new round of research, a different scene unfolded at the Chang'an Automobile Factory.
The first mass-produced truck, the "Chang'an No. 1," slowly rumbled out of the workshop.
Being a mass-production model designed to cut costs, the vehicle was rather spartan.
It didn't even have a proper windshield, as glass production at the time still required artisans to craft each pane individually, making it quite costly—far too precious to install on a bulky, utilitarian truck.
To maximize cargo capacity, the vehicle's own weight had to be minimized. So, beyond its core structure, every other component was simplified; even the roof was a mere sheet of thin wood.
No sooner had it rolled out of the workshop than the truck was put to arduous labor.
Workers piled a chaotic assortment of materials into the truck's cargo bed and laughed heartily, saying, "Take this to Xi'an and deliver it to Manager Wang."
The new driver turned his head, a crestfallen look on his face.
"It's a brand-new truck! Are you really going to use it to haul a load of filthy rubbish?"
The workers chuckled.
"It's destined for this fate sooner or later. Don't you know how grimy Experimental Vehicle Three is by now?"
The driver resigned himself to his fate. Hauling a pile of scrap, he drove towards Xi'an.
It wasn't long before he reached Xi'an.
Just as he approached the city gate, he encountered Zhu Cunji, the Prince of Qin's heir, in his Kulinan. It was a dazzling, incredibly stylish vehicle.
Zhu Cunji's latest obsession was cruising through Xi'an in his Kulinan, showing off his vehicle to anyone who looked. He even occasionally took his consort for a spin in the passenger seat.
His personal guard, however, suffered greatly. They could only pursue the Kulinan on horseback, a grueling task.
The vehicle ran on coal, and refueling in Xi'an was effortless, allowing the Prince of Qin's heir to drive all day. His guards' horses, however, were not so fortunate.
Consequently, the weary guards had to swap horses frequently, both riders and mounts exhausted beyond words.
Spotting a gleaming new truck approaching, Zhu Cunji immediately perked up. He abruptly swerved his Kulinan in front of the new truck, demanding,
"Hey, is this one of the new vehicles just produced by the Chang'an Automobile Factory?"
"Yes, Your Highness," the driver replied.
Zhu Cunji scrutinized the truck from every angle, then exclaimed with delight,
"Excellent! I want one too!"
The driver offered a wry smile.
"Your Highness, you already own a magnificent, gleaming Kulinan. Could you possibly fancy this rather humble, mass-produced truck?"
Zhu Cunji scoffed.
"Only children choose between two things. Adults want everything."
The driver could only stare.
"Never mind," Zhu Cunji declared.
"There's no point discussing it with you. I'll go to the Chang'an Automobile Factory myself, wait by the gates, and buy one. Hahahaha!"
With a decisive turn of the steering wheel, the Kulinan veered toward the Chang'an Automobile Factory. His guards, a mix of exasperation and amusement, spurred their horses to follow.
"Your Highness," they cried, "it's dangerous outside the city! Please don't ride so fast!"
Zhu Cunji yelled back,
"Danger, my foot! The entire area around Xi'an belongs to Dao Xuan Tianzun now. Where would bandits even hide? What danger are you talking about?"
The guards grew frantic.
"Your Highness, you," they shouted, "you are the greatest danger to yourself!"
Zhu Cunji frowned, a question mark hovering over his head.
No sooner had the thought formed than he felt something was amiss. Driving while distracted was a grave mistake.
With a sudden lurch, the vehicle veered off the paved road and plunged into a waterlogged paddy field beside the path.
The gleaming Kulinan sank into the field's thick mud. Zhu Cunji tumbled into the muck himself, emerging covered in mud.
Standing there, he shrieked,
"My car! Quick… someone, help! Get it out of here!"
The guards, however, rushed to his aid first.
Zhu Cunji bellowed in frustration,
"I'm not important! The Kulinan is! Save my Kulinan, quickly!"
Everyone exchanged bewildered glances.
The large contingent of guards exerted Herculean efforts, even borrowing several oxen from nearby farmhouses to assist.
Finally, they managed to drag the Kulinan back onto the road.
But it was now caked in mud, utterly unrecognizable.
Zhu Cunji gasped, heartbroken.
"The paint is chipped! Chipped! Oh, my little Nan, my little Nan… It's all Daddy's fault for not driving carefully. Daddy won't ever let you tumble into a field again!"
The guards stared, utterly dumbfounded.
The Prince's heir was calling himself "Daddy" to a car.
He's lost his mind, they thought.
What none of them realized, however, was this…
Just as the mass-produced truck rolled out of one section of the Chang'an Automobile Factory, from another, highly-secure rear production area, another vehicle was simultaneously emerging.
Experimental Vehicle Four!
This particular vehicle, the fourth experimental model, had been outfitted with weapons at the suggestion of the blacksmith Gao Yiyi. It had undergone several revisions mid-development.
Initially, Gao Yiyi had affixed two ramming horns to its front, grandly claiming that "piercing wounds and blunt trauma were distinct."
After being ridiculed by Young Master Bai, the horns were removed, and a flintlock rifle was mounted instead.
But Young Master Bai soon identified a rather glaring flaw.
This was a vehicle, not a person. It could haul substantial weight, so why bother with just a flintlock rifle mounted on the front?
Wouldn't a proper cannon be better? It certainly had the capacity to carry one.
Consequently, the flintlock rifle was discarded, replaced by a cannon barrel.
However, the vehicle, now sporting a cannon barrel, fired only once before a massive plume of thick smoke billowed into its interior.
The driver and the gunner in the passenger seat were nearly suffocated to death.
Thus, the vehicle underwent another modification.
The flintlock rifle was reinstalled at the front, while the large cannon was relocated to the rear, becoming a towed artillery piece.
When firing was required, the vehicle would have to halt, turn around, and allow the rear-mounted cannon to aim and fire at the enemy.
Since the vehicle was now towing artillery, it clearly couldn't be limited to paved roads.
It would inevitably be involved in combat and thus needed to traverse rough terrain.
So Young Master Bai, after much deliberation, equipped it with massive rubber tires.
This increased its ground clearance, allowing it to navigate highly challenging terrain.
In the end, Experimental Vehicle Four had become an incredibly ugly monstrosity, a design only its mother (or father) could despise.
"What's the plan for this vehicle?" the workers asked Young Master Bai.
"Where should we test it? The Manchus haven't invaded yet, and the bandits in Henan haven't attacked Luoyang. It seems we have no opportunity to test it."
Young Master Bai pondered for a while.
"Send it to Wangjia Fork's ancient fortress in Northern Shaanxi, hand it over to Zao Ying's cavalry battalion. They can test it on the grasslands, as it seems a major battle is imminent there."
On the Mongolian grasslands, a colossal battle was already unavoidable.
The question of who would rule the Ordos region had progressed to the final stage: a contest of brute force.
Dozens of tribes had rallied under the banner of Bo'erzhijin Elinchen.
Meanwhile, another score of tribes had gathered beneath the Wushen tribe's banner.
In terms of overall military strength, Bo'erzhijin Elinchen held a clear upper hand.
As a direct descendant of Genghis Khan, he commanded immense influence across the grasslands. A single rallying cry from him would see countless smaller tribes flock to his side.
The Wushen tribe, on the other hand, was a relatively new power, having only risen in prominence in recent years.
To the smaller tribes deep within the grasslands, who was Wushen?
They didn't know. They'd never heard of them.
Wushen clearly lacked popular support.