radicalducati Chapter 531 Inventions and Research
Chapter 531 Inventions and Research
Chapter 531 Inventions and Research
"Then————"
Leo gently placed the spear back on the table, then narrowed his eyes, a glint of shrewdness in them. "Mr. Hank, what about the other task I entrusted to you?"
Hank smiled. "Of course, I haven't forgotten. Oh! When it comes to invention, I've always been fearless in the face of difficult problems and tireless in my pursuit of knowledge."
"What I need are brand new weapons that can rival the giant crossbow," Leo added, "and even outclass that thing."
What Leo fears most right now is naval warfare.
Just like when he was pursued by the Federation fleet, there was nothing Leo could do but run away.
He had few soldiers on his ship and no warship-level weapons.
But the Silk Veil is, in fact, an iron lady.
Hank's latest mechanical gun could become a fighting force for the crew, but at the same time, Leo also knew that boarding combat was an outdated tactic in the current maritime situation.
Therefore, the ships must be reinforced.
"Don't worry," Hank smiled confidently, "I already have a plan."
"Tell me about it," Leo persisted.
"Sir, as you can see, my machine gun possesses unparalleled potential. This weapon is simple to use; even an octogenarian would be enough to deter a fully armed knight from approaching it."
"But ships are much heavier than knights."
"People have their weapons, and ships should have theirs," Hank said. "However, my technology has no size limitations. In theory, even if the same design is scaled up tenfold, its functionality should not be affected."
Leo understood: "You're planning to build a giant mechanical gun?"
"No, no, no," Hank waved his hands repeatedly. "I said it's theoretically feasible, but simply scaling it up might not achieve the same effect. For example, my mechanical gun needs to be operated by hand to hit exactly where it's pointed, but if it's scaled up tenfold, I'm afraid no one in the world could lift it."
Leo nodded: "So the design has to be changed?"
"That's right," Hank nodded. "I have an idea, but there's still a technical problem."
"What's the problem?" Leo asked.
"The reason my mechanical gun is so effective right now is mainly due to spices, which have unlimited potential. However, if we scale up the design to shipboard scale, the amount of spices required will increase significantly. Mr. Leo, do you have that much spices? If so, are you willing to use them?"
Leo was, of course, reluctant to part with it.
He traversed the world, East and West, and nearly lost his life, before finally establishing the framework for the spice trade.
Leo didn't want to waste a single spice; it had to be exchanged for gold.
But if it becomes a consumable, it will be a huge expense for Leo.
Of course, Rio can also implement industrial transformation.
Instead of buying spices, he sold weapons invented by Hank.
Leo knew that the machine gun had the potential to change the course of history and that it would be eagerly purchased by powerful figures from all over the world.
It's believed that Hank's technology will be cracked soon, after which Leo's arms empire will quickly collapse.
In this way, spices are no longer just a seasoning, but a strategic resource.
Its rarity and value will inevitably rise dramatically, and this item will certainly be driven up to astronomical prices.
The only problem is that with an extra intermediate step, it takes more time.
Moreover, historically, it has always been quite a long time for people to accept new things.
And there is never a shortage of pedantic conservatives; they only think of covering their faces after being slapped in the face.
This could mean that Leo might have to let his spice business stagnate for several years, or even more than a decade.
However, Leo was unsure if he would live that long.
At the same time, Leo may also face more threats, and he will probably have to deal with conflicts.
He himself would then consume large quantities of spices and begin to gradually reduce the supply of spices until it ceases to be supplied.
By then, in order to maintain a balance between income and expenditure, Leo will have to seek income from other sources.
Now that Leo has acquired powerful weapons, he may inevitably be reduced to plundering.
Although this was just Leo's analysis and speculation, he had a premonition that if he made this choice, the possibility of getting such an outcome was very high.
But he didn't want it to be like that.
Leo shook his head, then looked at Hank: "I understand. I'll wait for you to continue your research."
Hank bowed and said, "Thank you for your understanding."
Leo urged, "But please hurry. You know this trip is extremely dangerous; we could have to engage in naval battle at any moment."
"I see----"
"----captain!"
Just then, the first mate rushed into the cabin in a panic, shouting at Leo without even knocking.
Leo had never seen him with that expression before, and immediately realized that something might have happened up there.
But what is it?
Have we encountered an enemy fleet?
The Federation's pursuit fleet?
pirate?
Or did the people on the ship rebel?
In any case, it's definitely not a good thing.
Leo frowned slightly, picked up the gun from the table, and walked out of the cabin.
In the dueling arena, Leo gained not only scars, but also a wealth of combat experience.
Even if he were to engage in hand-to-hand combat now, he could probably withstand quite a few blows.
Holding this improved gun, he could face ten strong men head-on, even without using supernatural powers.
But then he suddenly heard a noise behind him.
Turning around, I saw that Shirley and Hank had also followed me out.
Each of them held a gun.
"Maybe we can help," Shirley said.
Leo nodded.
Soon, they made their way up the dimly lit stairs to the deck above.
As evening approached, the afterglow of the setting sun took on an icy blue hue.
rarely seen.
Is this how sunsets seen from the south are supposed to be?
Leo focused his attention on the deck and noticed that the crew members were standing in small groups, but no one seemed to notice his location.
At least it's not a rebellion—Leo thought to himself with a self-deprecating smile.
So they looked around the sea, but still couldn't see any ships.
It was only then that we discovered that the crew members were mostly located on the side of the fender.
Leo understood: "The sea?"
The first mate nodded: "Yes."
Leo walked toward the wooden railing and looked down.
The seawater was as black as ink.
However, in the deep and murky seawater, one could seem to see an outline—a swimming figure.
No! Not just one! But a whole group!
They swam together, heading towards Leo's front.
What are these things? Leo wondered in shock. Where are we going now?
"bump!"
Before Leo could react, a loud bang was heard.
This is the sound made when a machine gun is fired.
He was startled and turned his head reflexively.
It was Shirley who fired the shot.
"What are you doing?"
Shirley pouted: "Can't you tell? It shot down a new species underwater. Quick, get your people to help retrieve it."
Leo asked, puzzled, "Why did you do that?"
Shirley grinned, her eyes sharp as razors: "Of course, it's to cut it open and study it."