NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1
Chapter 1: A Hasty End
"That Pan Jinlian’s hand slipped, and she accidentally hit Ximen Qing passing below. Ximen Qing, holding a pole, was just about to lose his temper, but when he saw Pan Jinlian’s enchanting and graceful figure, he froze."
"He thought."
"Why did this pole fall straight down? Why did it only fall toward the ground, instead of sideways or even flying up into the sky? Why is everything in the world attracted to the earth?"
"He hurriedly left the street, and later, he discovered universal gravitation."
"That Cao Cao was boiling wine, with a plate of green plums beside him. He lifted his wine cup, about to say something, but as he watched the boiling liquor, he suddenly froze."
"He thought."
"Why does the boiling wine push up the lid? If I use an enormous pot to boil a vast amount of wine, would it create even greater force?"
"He put down his wine cup and devoted himself to experiments. Later, he invented the Cao Steam Engine."
"That Li Yuanba fiercely threw his hammer toward the sky, about to curse the heavens, but as he watched the hammer soar upward, he suddenly froze."
"He thought."
"When I throw my hammer up, it falls back after a while. If I throw it with more force, it takes longer to fall. But what if I use an unimaginably great force—would the hammer never fall back?"
"He turned and left. Later, he calculated the first cosmic velocity."
"That King Zhou of Shang held Daji in his arms, indulging in pleasure within his wine pool and meat forest, when he suddenly froze."
"He thought."
"Why does the wine overflow when I step into the pool? Does the amount of overflowing wine have any relation to me?"
"He pushed Daji away, and later, he discovered—"
"Discovered what? Keep going, Hughes!"
"Yeah, yeah, hurry up! Everyone’s waiting to hear!"
A group of people had formed a circle, all eagerly watching the young boy in the center.
Some stood with their arms crossed, while others sat directly on the ground, judging by their dirty clothes, it was uncertain whether they were cleaner than the ground itself.
A few dirty wheelbarrows were discarded nearby, coal carts used for transporting fuel to the factory. The steel machines inside devoured coal, exhaling steam and black smoke. On bad days, they would also consume workers’ fingers, limbs, or even their lives.
The boy, called Hughes, grinned, revealing a set of white teeth that stood out against the soot and grime on his face.
Every day at noon, during the break from work, he would tell strange and interesting stories here. Gradually, more and more workers gathered to listen. At first, they treated them as mere fantasies, but over time, some became curious about the complex terms within the stories.
"So what exactly is… universal gravitation? Hughes, you’ve mentioned it several times before. Damn, just hearing these words gives me a headache."
A burly man stepped forward, looking down at Hughes.
Hughes raised an eyebrow. This man’s name was Kyle, and Hughes had some impression of him.
After all, in this era where industry was just beginning to sprout, most factory workers were originally farmers who had lost their land, trading their lives for wages. Their average lifespan barely reached thirty. Listening to Hughes’ stories had become their only entertainment.
And a man as massive as a bear, Kyle, was hard to ignore.
"Good question! Universal gravitation is—"
Hughes’ eyes lit up, just as he was about to explain, but a shout from behind interrupted him.
"Hughes, come here. Master Carlyle is waiting for you."
A supervisor poked his head out from the side door of the factory, looking toward them.
The gathered workers turned their heads. Master Carlyle was the owner of this factory. Why would he be looking for Hughes, a lowly worker?
All sorts of gazes fell upon Hughes.
"Go on, Hughes! Make sure you come back and finish the story!"
"Yeah! And explain that… that force thing!"
Several dirty hands patted Hughes on the back, and he responded with a smile.
"I’ll be back soon! The best part is coming next."
Hughes stepped toward the second floor of the factory, where the offices were. The overweight supervisor stood at the doorway with a blank expression, nodding slightly before closing the iron door behind him.
The workers’ gazes were cut off. Hughes stood inside, pausing for two seconds to adjust to the dim interior. The supervisor had already taken the lead, walking ahead.
"Sir, may I ask why I’ve been summoned?"
"You’ll find out soon enough." The supervisor replied indifferently without looking back.
Hughes frowned, already forming a few guesses in his mind.
His daily storytelling had naturally attracted some attention.
That was unavoidable, and Hughes had even intentionally fueled it. After all, he had no intention of remaining a worker forever, allowing his future and dreams to be crushed by cold machines.
Organizing workers into gatherings would surely place him under the scrutiny of certain powerful figures, but that was far from a good thing. No factory owner would ever want their workers to unite.
And Hughes had done more than just tell stories.
In his past life, he had been an engineer, and to his trained eyes, the factory’s machines were primitive and inefficient. So, he had quietly suggested improvements, using subtle methods to send them to Master Carlyle.
As expected, factory owners of this era were far from conservatives. At least for now, they had yet to learn arrogance. The improved machines Hughes proposed were quickly adopted throughout the entire factory.
Through relentless effort, he had finally managed to pry open a crack in his fate.
Hughes knew that industrialization would inevitably sweep across the world like a tidal wave, and now, he had a chance to change his destiny.
The supervisor stopped at a door, opened it, and motioned for Hughes to enter.
Hughes took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The door shut behind him once more.
Inside the room, Master Carlyle wore an elegant suit, an outfit never seen in the factory before. His face carried a flattering smile as he looked toward the other side of the room.
Following his gaze, Hughes saw a man dressed in the robes of the church.
Steel plates covered his face, gears and intricate joints forming his limbs.
Like a mechanical being, yet beneath the metal, traces of human hands and feet could still be seen.
What was this? The church had such bizarre individuals? Was that an exoskeleton? Such refined craftsmanship?
Hughes was startled.
"Father, this is Hughes. He single-handedly improved the steam engine’s drive bearings. No one else was involved." Carlyle spoke with a sycophantic smile.
Father? Hughes finally noticed the church’s sacred emblem on the strange man’s robes.
In the priest’s hands was a bearing, one that had been removed from a steam engine.
His fingers transformed into screwdrivers and prybars, skillfully dismantling the bearing’s outer shell. A hoarse voice came from beneath his hood.
"You designed this?"
Hughes' mind raced. Judging by the priest’s skilled disassembly, he clearly understood the modifications Hughes had made. If he could prove his expertise, he might earn this man’s recognition.
And judging by the factory owner’s servile attitude, this priest’s status was likely very high.
A golden opportunity! If Hughes played this right, he might gain access to the empire’s upper echelons.
His expression turned serious as he nodded. "Yes, Father. I improved this bearing. Its efficiency is at least 30% higher, and its lifespan is also—"
His words were abruptly cut off.
A steel arm pierced through his chest.
Hughes stared in disbelief. The priest before him held the sacred emblem of the church, slowly withdrawing his bloodstained hand, just moments ago, those fingers had been dismantling machinery.
"Servant of the Evil God, you have defiled the sacred machines!"
The hoarse voice echoed in the room. The priest seemed to say more, but Hughes could no longer hear him.
His vision darkened.
Hughes, died.