Silent Crown

by Feng Yue

  He pointed to the component of the external combustion engine and said, “As compared to the original steam engine, the biggest natural advantage that the external combustion engine driven by the Carnot cycle has is that the noise will be greatly reduced. As long as the most basic sound insulation treatment is done properly, it will not cause aether to react in any manner.

  “And the most ingenious idea is the use of alchemical mercury. Alchemical mercury will absorb the noise of the operation of the external combustion engine, react with aether on its own, and increase the thrust for the machinery.

  “The only drawback is that the start-up process requires a long warm-up period. But with the new cycle designed by our formula, external combustion only needs to be provided during the warm-up phase. Once the machinery is running and enters the inertia phase, the alchemical mercury will automatically absorb the noise produced in the operation process, thus providing kinetic energy.

  “Moreover, the efficiency is 60% higher than that of the original machinery. With very little fuel supply, we can maintain the entire cycle.

  “Although miniaturization can’t be completed, we have an unparalleled advantage over the aether engine.

  “According to our calculations, in the case of both machines taking the same cost to build, the aether engine can only provide energy for one armor, and our external combustion engine can provide energy for a whole workshop! “

  Having said that, Ronald was already unable to conceal his ecstasy, waving his limbs excitedly.

  However, Ye Qingxuan was not as excited as Ronald had imagined. The young man did not had the slightest smile, but simply nodded. “So, let’s start the experiment now, I can’t wait to see it.”

  Ronald was momentarily surprised, then nodded quickly.

  Soon, the fuel-transporting cart was brought to them.

  For the sake of safety, other people had retreated dozens of meters away from the engine, only Ye Qingxuan was still standing in front of the external combustion engine calmly.

  Even though the prototype might have all sorts of uncertainties, he did not think that an external combustion engine gone haywire would have the ability to cause any damage to him. It was just like a joke, if a dumb machine could achieve what Hyakume and Arthur couldn’t, it might as well become a catastrophe.

  After giving a wave of his hand as a signal for Ronald to begin, Ye Qingxuan waited quietly.

  Ronald hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the shovel, and clumsily began to add coal to the burner of the external combustion engine. It took him a few minutes altogether to get it done, and some pieces even dropped and scattered on the floor.

  Soon, after the coal was filled in, fiery flames rose in the burner.

  In front of the stove, Ronald was already sweating profusely.

  Five minutes later, the huge external combustion engine that had completed the preheating began to tremble slightly. In a low sound that resembled bees buzzing, Ye Qingxuan heard the deep sound of the piston operating rapidly in the core.

  The activation was complete!

  The alchemical mercury evaporated and expanded, pushing the piston to operate, then condensed into a liquid once more with the cooling flow at the other end and shrunk.

  A large force was born from the cylinder as the prototype operated, and it was continuously transmitted along the cable and mechanical structure, propelling the large lathe which was used as a test object in the distance.

  The gearbox operated rapidly with a low noise, and the deep sound of steel colliding and scraping against each other rang out. The lathe trembled, and as the gears turned, the headstock began operating.

  The drive chain began to rotate, and pieces of solid steel were transported to the front of the tool holder. A sharp noise rang out, and amid the piercing loud bangs, the steel was cut quickly.

  Everyone held their breath.

  The heavy piece of steel was cut open by the alloyed lathe tool. After a series of complicated, dazzling processes, just a few seconds later, a hollow steel shaft, sanded and polished, rolled off the chain onto the ground, making a crisp sound.

  The testing staff ran towards it in small steps despite the possible danger, took out various tools to check, and finally raised their heads excitedly, waving ecstatically.

  Pass!

  At the moment, the suffocating atmosphere was broken, and everyone cheered. The external combustion engine finally took its first step forward and proved its industrial potential.

  In the cheers, Ye Qingxuan suddenly reached out. Directly bypassing the control equipment in the test site, he drew a large amount of aether from the sea of aether, and the silver stream of light gushed towards the site.

  In a flash, the sound of the alarm rang out.

  In front of him, where the external combustion engine was located, the aether density rose that of a pure White Zone to that of a Yellow Zone, which represented hidden dangers. The external combustion engine shook, then continued to operate, and even sped up.

  Five minutes later, Ye Qingxuan gave another wave, and the aether density skyrocketed.

  Red Zone!

  The external combustion engine shook violently, and a deep sound burst forth, causing a flowing light to emerge from the aether in the air. Countless ripples swelled and spread in all directions.

  But it was still within a safe zone.

  Under the influence of the external environment, the stability of the external combustion engine plummeted, and a gap even appeared on the main compartment of the body. Behind him, the researchers looking on from afar gulped and prayed hard that the external combustion engine could operate stably.

  However, the noise increased in volume, and the loopholes of the prototype were exposed.

  The lack of a perfect seal caused the operation of the machinery to be affected by the external environment.

  Ye Qingxuan pondered for a moment, then waved again.

  Black Zone!

  In just an instant, a loud rumble burst forth. Broken gears flew out of the casing, tearing a huge gap in it. The fragments of the gears whistled as they coursed through the air, coming to an abrupt stop in front of Ye Qingxuan.

  It was only one inch away from piercing through his skull.

  Everyone inhaled deeply.

  The external combustion engine roared, and a large amount of evaporated alchemical mercury spewed out of it. It was followed by a descend into silence.

  As it stopped working, everyone became pale.

  It had failed.

  But in the silence, applause sounded.

  It was Ye Qingxuan.

  Clapping his hands, he gazed at the broken external combustion engine in front of him, revealing a smile full of joy. “Very good, very good, or I should say, it’s beyond my expectations!

  “Mr. Ronald, the product of you and your research team will shock the whole world!”

  Ronald looked at him, stunned. After a good while, he asked hesitantly, “But, just now, wasn’t it… broken?”

  The young man replied, “The Black Zone is a forbidden zone for machinery. Except for a few simple machines that can run stably, aren’t the conditions completely unsuitable for the operation of large engineering machinery? Let alone a prototype that has yet to be tested and inspected at all. A performance of such standard is already better than expected.”

  Ye Qingxuan shrugged. “Besides, I have never intended for it to operate in a Black Zone, nor have I even considered to operate it in a Red Zone. After all, it is a production machine never to be used to open up new land. As long as it can operate smoothly in White Zones and Yellow Zones, it has already met all production needs.

  “Being able to accomplish so much is already very good, no, it’s unparalleled, Mr. Ronald. I look forward to the coming of the day when it is officially produced.

  “I hope that you will not slack off, and will instead keep up the good work.”

  As if he had returned from hell to heaven in an instant, Ronald nodded ecstatically,
cheering as he hugged the other researchers.

  His reaction made Ye Qingxuan feel somewhat resigned. They’re making me seem like a tyrant. Surely it’s not like I would kill them all if they hadn’t completed it in time?

  He shook his head and looked at the completely damaged external combustion engine in front of him.

  And his gaze couldn’t help but turn to one of marvel.

  It wasn’t that he was stunned by its results, nor was it that he did not anticipate its performance. On the contrary, as the first person to familiarize himself with its working principle, Ye Qingxuan was mentally prepared.

  However, through the crude prototype, what he saw was not just a simple prototype engine, but an almost perfect thought process and idea.

  The Royal Institute of Research did better than he had imagined.

  Its designers have mastered its working principles like an art, creating the most perfect prototype, like invisible hands delivering an embryo that is still being nurtured.

  Now, the newborn has come to the world, although it still appears to be slightly weak, its future is bound to be great.

  Simply put, it is an ingenious idea.

  One can foresee that soon, horse-drawn trams will be eliminated, and huge machinery equipped with the Stirling external combustion engine will pull hundreds of carriages along as it travels on the railways.

  Then, the manufacturing and industrial sectors will also undergo earth-shaking changes. A large number of manpower will be liberated from tedious yet simple work…

  The world will usher in further changes.

  Ye Qingxuan smiled quietly.

  …

  After a short celebration, the researchers showed Ye Qingxuan its blueprint and a large number of application solutions. Just by looking at the thickness of the materials, one could feel how much effort they had spent on them.

  The young man said, “Oh right, I remember you said that you had completed the main cycle through a new formula based on the original, so that the alchemical mercury could stably absorb the noise and turn it into kinetic energy.

  “Now that I look into it, it seems that the efficiency of the entire external combustion engine has almost doubled. It is indeed an ingenious idea… What kind of formula is it?”

  Ye Qingxuan flipped through the design drawing and asked casually, “I am quite interested in it. Can you explain it to me?”

  For a moment, the atmosphere seemed to freeze.

  The researchers looked at each other awkwardly and finally at Ronald. Ronald’s expression was a bit stiff. “Oh… About that…”

  “Ah, found it.” Ye Qingxuan took out a drawing filled with complicated numbers, smiled, and looked through, occasionally praising it. Finally, he looked up and pointed to several values in the corner, “May I ask how to solve for the variables here and here? I have some trouble understanding it, how did you calculate this result?”

  Ronald was silent and swallowed. Before he knew it, he was already sweating profusely.

  “What’s wrong?” Ye Qingxuan looked up, still smiling. “Mr. Ronald, you seem a little uncomfortable?”

  “It’s… a bit too hot here.” Ronald smiled forcibly, tugging at his tie. “It’s really hot.”

  Ye Qingxuan said nothing, just smiled and looked at him.

  As Ye Qingxuan looked on, Ronald’s face became paler and paler, unable to restrain his legs from trembling. In the end, Ronald almost couldn’t stand properly, and had to sit down on the ground.

  “Er, I’m a bit dizzy.” He smiled awkwardly and wanted to get up, but his arms was shaking. “What were you asking about? I will explain it to you…”

  But Ye Qingxuan was no longer smiling.

  He shook his head, sighed, and threw the drawings in his hand onto Ronald. “Forget it, Mr. Ronald. Lying is a technical job for the skilled, and it’s not for you.”

  He crouched down, looked into Ronald’s eyes, and asked softly, “Tell me, where did the formula come from?”

  Ronald’s expression was convulsing, and he argued incoherently, “The time was too short, your demands were too harsh, so we had no other choice…”

  “I understand, a month’s time is simply unreasonable.” Ye Qingxuan nodded, his voice soft. “But if I didn’t do that, why would you all seek help from Newton?”

  621 A Happy Beginning

  “If I didn’t do that, would you all have tried to seek help from Newton?” A gentle voice could be heard in the experimental site. Everyone’s faces turned pale and their bodies stiffened.

  “What do you mean… I don’t quite understand.” Ronald forced a smile as he looked around the companions around him, “This formula is the result our collective efforts. How does it have anything to do with Newton? Am I right? Everyone, say something…”

  No one spoke. Everyone had just become aware of the presence of tens of dark figures that had appeared from the shadows and were watching all of them intently. They wore solemn-looking masks and were clad in uniforms from top to toe. Only the golden badge on their chest gave away their identity as the Royal Hounds.

  Ye Qingxuan sighed and shook his head. “Have you heard of a saying that ‘the writing mirrors the writer’. Formula and literary works are the same. I am very clear what kind of person will create what kind of product.” With that, he tapped on the data on the ground with the tip of his toe, “You are all researchers, gentlemen, and you have all been used to working under the constraints of all sorts of rules and conditions. The things that you can produce will be dull and uninteresting. How can you possibly think of something out of this world?”

  “Tell me, you are all either lunatics or schizophrenics.” He saw the look of despair on Ronald’s face. He stretched out his hand and smoothened his collar. His expression was gentle, “Or you could try lying in front of the Heart Musician.”

  “Where is Newton?” There was dead silence. Ronald’s face contorted. His lips were quivering but he could not make a sound.

  Ye Qingxuan shook his head in disappointment. He sighed and got up slowly. Just as he raised his palm and was about to give an order, a hoarse voice rang out from the loudspeaker in the experimental site.

  “Don’t make things difficult for them anymore, Mr Ye. I’m here.” Very soon, what was once a smooth and flat wall gradually opened, revealing a secret passageway behind it and an old man who must not have seen the sun for a very long time. The previous Dean of the Royal Institute of Research, Newton. He looked at Ye Qingxuan without any expression on his face. “They are all innocent. They had no idea what they were doing. Let them go, Mr Ye.”

  Ye Qingxuan lowered his head and smiled, as if he had just witnessed something funny. Newton, who had been arrested by the Church and given up on by Anglo, had been hiding in the Royal Institute of Research all along. In a place that he had built from scratch, this was probably the safest place for him.

  Anglo would never allow anyone from the Church to conduct a search here, and even organists and secret agents would never be able to find the secret entrance and passageway hidden hundreds of meters underground. Besides, complicated limits of authority and decades of countless piling of digging works were more than capable of creating a secret shelter for hiding. Underneath this massive underground facility, the routes were well-established and could link to every corner of Avalon. Even if one was discovered, it was still possible to escape unscathed. In addition, he had a group of researchers that have remained loyal to him… Where else could be safer than here? Otherwise, how was it possible for an old man as reliant on others as him to be able to escape the Church?

  Ye Qingxuan turned his head and looked at this old man from head to toe. Even though he has been in hiding, he did not look down and out at all. Instead, he looked well-fed and there was even the smell of alcohol. It was as if he was on a vacation.

  “It is so good to see you, Mr Newton.” Ye Qingxuan waved the Royal Hounds away, “Bring these gentlemen away and find some Heart Musicians to give them a thorough inspe
ction to see if they are hiding anything else. Look at how Anglo is spending so much money to feed a bunch of traitors.”

  The last sentence was directed at Newton, but his face remained expressionless, as if he had not heard it. Very soon, the entire experimental site was just left with the two of them.

  “Why didn’t you escape?” Ye Qingxuan teased, “It is not like you to be so loyal.”

  Newton laughed coldly and looked at him, “What do you think?”

  Ever since Ye Qingxuan entered this place, more than a hundred Royal Hounds had appeared out of nowhere to take over every corner of the Royal Institute of Research by force and the Transformation Musicians had begun to look for secret entrances hidden behind walls. This was different from the superficial inspections conducted in the past. This time round, it was as if they had no qualms tearing down the entire place in order to find what they were looking for. There were even a large number of Abstinence Musicians that set up layers of perception enchantment. Within half an hour, by the time Newton finally realized what was happening, every possible exit has already been blocked off. Only the researchers in the experimental site were still kept in the dark.

  Newton was completely trapped. Ye Qingxuan’s intention for locking up the entire place was to prevent news from getting out. He certainly did not expect such a huge catch.

  “Looks like you have some conscience after all, since you have chosen not to let those researchers take the blame for you.” Ye Qingxuan looked at Newton. His expression turned cool, “If only you had done the same thing back then.”

  Newton knew what he was talking about. He already knew about the relationship between Ye Qingxuan and Charles when the latter reported for his first day of work. This was also why Newton could not remain calm and a tinge of helplessness flashed across his face, “I’m sor…”

  Bang!

  Before he could complete his sentence, his body was already sent flying towards the wall. It slowly slid down until he was sitting on the ground and coughing violently. He raised his head with difficulty, only to see Ye Qingxuan gripping onto his staff. There were veins protruding everywhere on his arms. It was clear that rage was coursing through his entire body.