SWDnovel Chapter 88 The Secret Team
Chapter 88 The Secret Team
Yin De's footsteps echoed in the corridor for a while, then gradually faded away.
Yin'e leaned back in his recliner, fanning himself with a folding fan, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, but his mind was racing.
I don't know what those three young men are like.
He asked Yin De to find someone who was "from a clean family, skillful, and interested in new things," a condition that was neither too lenient nor too strict.
The capital city is so big, there are many people who meet the requirements, but to find someone truly usable, we still need to rely on Yin De's judgment.
He was silently making plans in his mind.
A moment later, footsteps sounded again, this time not by one person, but by several people.
The door was pushed open.
Yin De walked at the front, stepped aside to make way for the doorway, and waved to those behind him.
Three young people filed in and stood in a row in front of the desk.
The three people were of different heights, weights, and builds, and dressed differently, but they had one thing in common.
There was a light in their eyes, a curiosity and longing for the unknown.
That light wasn't the meager existence left after life had worn it down, but rather a raw, unyielding edge that shone from the very core of one's being, untouched by worldly concerns.
Yin'e's gaze swept from the first person to the second, from the second to the third, and then back again.
A slight smile appeared on his lips.
After receiving a signal from Yin'e, Yin De began to introduce the three people.
The first person was named Shen Huaiyuan, twenty-five years old, not tall, fair-skinned, with long fingers and neatly trimmed nails, clearly someone who did meticulous work.
His ancestors were silversmiths from Shanxi, and for three generations they ran shops in the capital, specializing in gold and silver jewelry and exquisite objects.
He learned the craft from his father from a young age, and by the age of ten he could make decent silver bracelets, and by fifteen he could take on jobs independently.
But he wasn't content with just making jewelry; he was particularly interested in the mechanical gadgets that came from the West.
According to Yin De, he once disassembled a Western music box that had been broken for many years, and after half a month of work, he not only fixed it but also changed the music.
This skill and dedication are not something everyone possesses.
The second person was named Lin Mo, twenty-three years old, tall and thin, with somewhat messy hair.
He was from Shuntian Prefecture, from a scholarly family. His father was a Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations) and hoped that he could also take the imperial examination route and bring honor to the family.
He took the provincial examination three times, but failed all three times. The last time, he didn't even get into the examination hall.
He was expelled by the examiner for "cheating" because he had modified the calligraphy brush used in the exam into an "automatic brush" that could store ink.
His father was so angry that he wanted to sever ties with him, but he didn't care.
From a young age, he loved tinkering with all sorts of novel objects; he would collect and study anything that was available on the market.
He could also draw blueprints quickly and well, with a strong sense of three-dimensionality. Even Western missionaries praised him for being "talented".
The third person was Zhou Changgeng, twenty-seven years old, burly and thick-waisted, with a face tanned dark by the sun.
He was from Zhili (present-day Hebei Province), and his family had been carpenters for three generations. His master was a famous craftsman in the capital, specializing in making furniture and building theaters for princes and nobles. His craftsmanship was among the best in the capital.
Zhou Changgeng not only knew how to do woodworking, but also had a natural interest in things like mechanisms, gears, and transmission devices.
Yin De said he had seen a wooden bird made by Zhou Changgeng. When wound up, it could flap its wings and fly more than ten steps, and it could also turn corners.
Three people stood in front of the desk, each with a different posture.
Yin'e leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping over the three people's faces before he lowered his eyes and his fingers discreetly slipped into his sleeve, touching the book "Overheard".
With a thought, he gently turned the pages of the book, and a faint light, visible only to him, shone through his sleeve.
He found Yin De's page and tapped the name with his fingertip.
Yin De's innermost thoughts flooded his mind like a tidal wave.
"These three lads took me a lot of effort to find."
Shen Huaiyuan found the jewelry shop after asking around at seven or eight stores. His father was skilled, but he was even better, though he didn't like making jewelry and preferred to dismantle Western clocks.
Lin Mo was the hardest to find. We made several trips back and forth in Shuntian Prefecture and even asked around before we finally managed to find him in that dilapidated courtyard.
His father was furious, but he didn't care. When he heard that the Tenth Master wanted someone to make something new, he left with me without saying a word.
Zhou Changgeng was lucky; I happened to run into him coming out of that wood workshop, holding a wooden bird in his hand. I thought it was alive, but when I got closer, I saw it was made of wood.
I've investigated these three people thoroughly; they're all clean and have no shady connections. I can't be careless about the things Tenth Master instructed me to do."
As Yin'e listened to these heartfelt words, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
He trusted Yin De to handle things.
Over the past month, Yin De has made countless trips outside, from the streets and alleys of the capital to the villages and towns in the suburbs, screening countless people before finally selecting these three.
There was no nepotism, no backdoor dealings, and no favoritism.
It was clean and tidy, just as he described.
He withdrew his hand, and the light in his sleeve went out.
He sat up straight and took out a blue cloth bundle from the drawer under his desk. The bundle was small, but heavy.
He placed the bundle on the table, opened it, and inside was a stack of papers covered with writing.
This is a "Research and Development Manual" written by Yin'e. It covers everything from the purification of colchicine to the preparation of iodine tincture, and the synthesis of sulfonamides. It is written in as much detail and clarity as possible so that even someone without a modern scientific background can understand it.
He also wrote down everything he could think of that was possible, such as automatic firearms, bullets, and warships.
But he was neither a mechanic nor a scientist; many things were only in their infancy and ideas, and the blueprints and such were not complete or clear.
He pushed the bundle to the edge of the desk and his gaze fell on Shen Huaiyuan.
"Shen Huaiyuan."
Shen Huaiyuan stepped forward and took the bundle with both hands.
"These are the insights I've accumulated over the years."
There are prescriptions, medical device blueprints, and several methods that could save lives.
Take this back and study it step by step, doing each step carefully.
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three faces one by one: "No need to rush."
Some things may require many attempts to succeed. If you fail, try again. If you fail again, try again. I won't rush you.
"I have only one request," Yin'e said, holding up a finger. "Before using it on people, test it on chickens, ducks, geese, and dogs first."
Make sure you test it thoroughly, understand it completely, and are certain there is no danger.
The three of them said in unison, "Understood."
"There's no upper limit to R&D expenses. If you need any materials, just go to Yin De, and he'll approve them for you."
If you need any tools, go to Yin De, and he'll buy them for you. If you need any books, go to Yin De, and he'll find them for you.
In short, your mission carries the highest authority.