Four days later, a special test kicked off on Chengdong Beach.
In addition to military representatives such as Ning Wanjun and He Guicai, the invited participants also included elf representatives headed by Senia, as well as Luo Qingqing, Li and other people who joined in the fun. Hong Siqi, who has performed well in hosting refugees, was also invited.
Seeing Xia Fan, Ning Wanjun waved to him, indicating that she had something to say, and the former responded by leaning forward slightly and putting his ear to her cheek.
"I can understand that you want the elves to come to visit. I heard that there is a lot of controversy in their clan about in-depth cooperation with Jinxia City, but... why did you even invite people from the six departments of the imperial court?" Ning Wanjun lowered her voice and said, "You Aren’t you worried that he will leak the news to Gyeonggi?”
Obviously the princess does not like the "eyes" inserted by the court in her territory, even if the other party has expressed its loyalty.
"If Hong Siqi still has any hope of returning to the position of governor, he must rely on the imperial court to use force to deprive you of everything. So after showing him that all this is impossible, I think he will put away those things. Be careful." Xia Fan replied easily, "As for the news being leaked, don't worry, even if the Ministry of Industry gets the finished product, it won't be able to imitate it in a short time."
Because this is a genuine industrial product.
It involves the smelting of steel, the forging and cutting of components, and a set of strict and almost harsh measurement standards, so that every thread and interface can be tightly connected, which cannot be imitated with just one idea.
"Good day, Your Highness. May the harmonious sea breeze always be by your side." Senia walked up and greeted Ning Wanjun proactively. This time, she was using mainland Chinese, and her speaking speed was much improved compared to a month ago, so communication was smooth. "I wonder what the test object you want to show this time is?"
Not far away, Ai Li secretly waved to Xia Fan, as lively as ever.
"Good afternoon." Ning Wanjun replied briefly, "It's a weapon."
Every time he saw the scene of the two meeting, Xia Fan couldn't help but sigh at the wonder of the world.
On one side is a tall elf wearing an exquisite dress, and on the other side is a short but imposing princess wearing a round collar robe - no matter in terms of appearance, appearance or clothing, they are like people from two worlds.
But by chance, they stood face to face.
"Really? I'm looking forward to it." Senia said, stroking her chest.
…
"You mean... weapons?" Pang Ting, the patriarch of the Shaman family, frowned slightly, "Are they showing their power to Shuzhou?"
Showing strength is a nice way of saying it, but if it's a bad way of saying it, it's a threat.
"Maybe you just want to help us build confidence and prove that you have the strength to fulfill the agreement." Senia glanced at him, half chuckled and half helplessly said, "I know you are uneasy about my decision. In fact, Sometimes I feel worried myself. But the people of Shuzhou cannot afford to wander forever... Have you ever thought about what would have happened if we hadn't encountered Jinxia City, which was willing to allow us to dock, and continued sailing on the sea for half a year?"
Pang Ting sighed, "More than half of the facilities on the tree boat will wither."
“At that point we may really have to rely on God to survive.”
"But the issue of our bloodline..."
"Yes, this is a risk, and it is also a risk we must bear." Senia admitted, "I have told all the children that they must not have relationships with the locals. Fortunately, the other party seems to regard us as someone It’s a strange thing, and things that are usually embarrassing will become temporary protection here.”
"What I'm really afraid of is that after a long time, both parties have accepted each other. Only then will the superiors realize the threat and turn their heads to attack us. By then, I'm afraid it will be difficult to leave." Pang Ting shook his head, as if he didn't want to talk about this anymore. topic.
Senia also knows that no one can tell what will happen in the future, but at least for now... the Shuzhou Islanders need to make changes.
At this time, a simple-looking machine was moved in front of everyone.
It is supported by a metal bracket below. The upper part is similar to a musket, but the bolt part is slightly larger, as if a barrel has been grown on a piece of iron felt.
"Is this a firearm? It feels much bulkier than the ones used by the Empire." Pang Ting pondered.
"Because this is just a prototype prototype, there is no need to make it into a gun." Ai Li on the side finally couldn't help but interjected, "Master Mo said that the mold opening will not begin until the test is passed. And It also doesn’t use gunpowder.”
"You mean... you also participated in the trial production of this weapon?" Senia asked slightly surprised.
"No, and Master Mo has also specifically explained the principles. Only the students with the best performance in the exams are qualified to be her assistants." Ai Li patted her chest, "You only learned the language, so you don't know at this point."
"They didn't keep the secret from the elves?" Pang Ting was also a little moved.
"Because that's not something that can be done casually. Anyone who has been to the Mechanical Engineering Bureau's workshop will understand." Ai Li simply expressed her thoughts, "Master Mo seems to be quite strict, but in fact he treats us very well." It’s not harsh. I think in her eyes, it doesn’t matter whether she has pointed ears or not. She only cares about her grades in the exam.”
"Really?" The patriarch looked to the other side of the beach, and the target was already set up.
The person who tested the gun was Xia Fan himself.
"You said it doesn't use gunpowder, so what does it use?"
"Air." Ai Li said playfully.
"What?" The two of them couldn't help but be stunned.
Xia Fan was seen screwing a can into the notch on the side of the gun, and then pulling the trigger.
Bang—
Everyone heard the gunshot.
But the sound was unexpectedly crisp, even... slight, not like an extremely powerful weapon.
"It seems... I missed the target." Senia blinked, "It seems that Master Xia is not good at firearms-"
Before she could finish her words, a second whistle came from the front.
During the interval between the two sounds, Xia Fan was not seen making any additional movements.
Then came the third sound.
The fourth tone.
The intervals between each gunshot became shorter and shorter, and finally they seemed to be connected in one piece!
—Boom, boom, boom.
The target area also became lively. The flying bullets sometimes splashed a pillar of sand on the sand, and sometimes hit a ball of debris on the wooden target. But what is not easy to doubt is that every sound will be accompanied by a fallen bullet. Bullets fired from the chamber!
Senia suddenly realized that the opponent did not need to be good at using firearms. Even if he failed to hit the target the first time, there would be many opportunities to make up for it in the future.
After about thirty rounds, the gunfire gradually died down. Just when everyone thought the test was over, Xia Fan lifted the can two or three times and inserted another iron can of the same shape into it.
The banging sound started again.
Pang Ting couldn't help but swallowed.
There seems to be no gap at all in this thing! If we were to engage in a close encounter with the Imperial Army, this weapon alone would be worth a dozen muskets!
Perhaps the priest was right about one thing.
The other party invited the elf to come to prove his ability.
Even when they faced the Imperials across the sea, they still had the means to compete with them.