On the way back to Tiebushan's ho, Xiao Feng couldn't help but regret ntioning the million-dollar deal to Tie Yidao.
Is a million a lot?
In his own eyes, it wasn't much; just a casual drink with a "brother" could yield more than a million.
But for the people of Iron Village, who relied on farming for inco, it was an unimaginable number!
Moreover, offering a million-dollar annual salary to soone with little education would inevitably make people think of illegal activities.
Although this mistake was corrected in ti during a conversation with Chen Li, if Chen Li and Tie Yidao discussed it together and realized the inconsistency, it would make him appear very suspicious...
Shaking his head, Xiao Feng decided not to overthink it for the mont; there would always be a way forward.
If it really doesn't work out, then it just ans he and Tie Wa were unlucky, and it would be a loss for both sides.
"Did it work out?" Sun Shijie, drinking tea in the courtyard, asked with a smile as Xiao Feng opened the door and entered.
Xiao Feng shook his head, "People need ti to consider. How is Master Tie inside doing with his considerations?"
"He said he'll give an answer during dinner," Sun Shijie put down his teacup and said seriously, "This ti when you go back, it's ti to prioritize the breeding of the descendants of the small fragrant beads.
It's just one, no, just one, and the yield is too low...
If we can increase the yield, cultivating so precious herbs won't be a problem, even if we don't use them ourselves, selling them could bring a good price."
Xiao Feng agreed, "You're right, we should hurry."
Just then, Old Donkey walked out of the kitchen carrying two plates, one with vinegar cabbage and the other with cold radish shreds.
After serving the dishes, he helped Tiebushan out of the room, and the four of them sat down at the dining table, ready to eat.
"I want to know, what was that bottle last night? How much of it do you have?" Tiebushan asked.
"The bottle contained chicken manure. As for how much... there could be more in the future, but for now, it's about one bottle a day. I only brought two bottles this ti." Xiao Feng replied.
The aning was simple, there was only one bottle left, so if you want to try it on anything else, you should consider it carefully.
Tiebushan thought for a while and said, "Pour one bottle under the iron tree; I've turned off the chanism. If it really helps the tree, I'll agree to your two conditions."
Xiao Feng looked at the over five-ter-tall iron tree and said, "According to our previous tests, one bottle can promote growth for half a month. With a tree this tall, can you tell if it has grown taller?"
Before Tiebushan could speak, Old Donkey answered for him, "Don't worry, my cousin doesn't pay attention to much else, but when it cos to this tree, he's more attentive than to his wife. He can notice even the slightest change."
"Alright, let's wait and see." Xiao Feng walked to the iron tree, took a bottle of chicken manure from his backpack, and poured it under the tree.
Seeing Xiao Feng step back, Tiebushan, leaning on his cane, refused Old Donkey's support and tremblingly entered the house. After closing the door and restarting the chanism, he called Old Donkey to help him again.
...
By evening, Tiebushan, wearing reading glasses, looked up at the iron tree in the dusk, trembling with excitent, "It's grown taller, it really has!
Half a month, really half a month!"
For him, he knew exactly how much the iron tree grew each day.
His asuring thod was to find a long cloth strip, tie it to a bamboo pole to asure against the iron tree, and have Old Donkey use another pen tied to the pole to mark the cloth.
This thod was clumsy but gave a clear view of the tree's height changes.
At this mont, the new mark on the cloth was noticeably higher than the one below.
"Now, shall we discuss the details?" Xiao Feng asked.
Tiebushan nodded eagerly, "Yes, yes, let's discuss the details!"
Xiao Feng began, "Then I'll start. I'll supply you with one bottle a day until this tree fully grows.
One day equals half a month, two days equals a month, twenty-four days equals a year, so five years will need one hundred and twenty days, which is four months.
During these four months, you need to help create the weapon."
"I'll do my best!" Tiebushan solemnly agreed.
After speaking, to show his sincerity, he directly pulled out a square-folded, seemingly large drawing from his pocket and handed it over, "This is the chanical Design Map; follow the layout, and there won't be a problem.
The options for hidden weapons can be changed to your liking; darts, Flying Knives, poison arrows, they can all be installed."
Xiao Feng opened it and found the map indeed was large, as wide as his outstretched arms, and about a ter high.
Densely packed with various patterns and annotations, it looked intimidating.
However, Xiao Feng felt more and more admiration as he looked, marveled by the ingenious design of the chanism!
His previous feeling was correct; this was a chanism that left no escape route.
Of course, there would be flaws, but without this map, the chances of finding them were tiny!
"According to the map, as long as the hidden weapon supply is continuous, the chanism can keep cycling, right?" Xiao Feng asked.
Tiebushan considered before answering, "In theory, yes, but how long it can operate depends on the materials used during setup, as parts will wear out, and missing a link can stop it."
Xiao Feng nodded, relieved, as he put the map into his backpack.
"Tell , what kind of weapon do you have in mind?" Tiebushan asked, calming his excited nerves with a few deep breaths.
Before crafting his creation, he thought it would be a good opportunity to practice.
Xiao Feng, who had long thought it over, replied without hesitation, "The shape should resemble a short sword, longer than a dagger but shorter than a long sword. I'm indifferent to any decorative patterns.
I'm focused on practicality, not aesthetics."
Iron Mountain took notes and gestured to continue, "Go on."
Xiao Feng nodded and presented his second requirent, "In terms of functionality, the more, the better."
"Functionality?" Iron Mountain was puzzled. "This isn't a mobile phone. What kind of functionality are you talking about?"
Xiao Feng explained, "A weapon is mainly for combat, so its functions should be related to striking the enemy.
For instance, a short sword could emit a strong light to blind the enemy, providing a chance for a lethal strike upon pressing a button on the hilt.
Or, say it gets too hot during a fight, pressing a button to release a stream of water would definitely be nice.
And also..."
"Wait!" Iron Mountain interrupted, his face darkening, "Are you sure this is a weapon you want?"
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