Comprehensive network wizard, magic emperor

Bensoff walked into the hall promptly and chose a seat by the window. Seeing him, the waiter said directly to the kitchen: "Here comes the scientist. It's the same old thing."

This middle-aged scientist stared at the crowds on the street, his mind still immersed in his work.

The assistant beside him reminded him, "You have a meeting today."

"Push it away."

"It's right here. It's Viscount Willen Pearl."

Bensoff hesitated.

The assistant was a little nervous.

After a while, I heard him say, "Should I order one more dish?"

The bell hanging behind the tavern door rang, and a young nobleman in a tall hat walked into the hall with a group of simple country people with modified bodies. The guests dining there secretly observed this group. Many people recognized their identities and kept looking at the shining mechanical prosthetic hands.

The old men from Shita Town were not stage-shy. They walked through the hall with their backs straight. Customers on both sides could hear the rustling sound of the mechanical transmission structure in their hands, like a lively beast.

"Mr. Bensoff, it's an honor to meet you."

The two shook hands, and Viren lifted the tall hat with both hands and placed it carefully on the table. Bensoff suddenly said, "The hat is very heavy."

"What?" Viscount Pearl's train of thought was interrupted.

"Your neck was a little stiff, but it's much more flexible now. The hat creates obvious wrinkles on the tablecloth, which shows it's quite heavy." Bensov spoke quickly and straightforwardly.

"You are very perceptive. Perhaps that is the mark of a good scholar?"

Bensov remained silent, but looked towards the kitchen. He lowered his head to check his watch. "The food is a little slow today. What would you like to eat? The portion I ordered is only enough for me to eat."

"The rumors are true. You're a straightforward person. So, I won't say any more nonsense. Here are the cutting-edge medical products from the Arcane Mechanical Workshop."

Bensov's eyes lit up as he watched the residents of Stone Tower demonstrate the functions of their prosthetic hands. After getting permission, he held the prosthetic limb in his hands and carefully observed every joint and gap with a magnifying glass.

"The workmanship is exquisite. Extremely, extremely exquisite. Was it manually polished by a watchmaker? Hmm, where does the driving force come from? Why is it so delicate? These technologies... I've never seen them before. Why? Which country is it from?"

"Rather than asking which country it comes from, it's better to say that this is a craft given by God." The Viscount smiled subtly and reservedly.

"Nonsense. God is fake. Uh... I don't mean to hurt your religious feelings, but when it comes to practical matters, it's best not to say such stupid things. If you had done the experiment, you would understand me."

Bensov noticed that the faces of the people opposite him had darkened, and he unconsciously moved twice, pointing his toes outward.

"Don't worry. I respect ignorance. It won't stop us from working together."

Viren's words made Bensov frown, but then his brows relaxed.

"Mr. Bensoff, if I give you the complete design drawings for this prosthetic limb—not just the hand, but also the eyes and limbs—could you please attend the World Expo in two days to serve as the spokesperson for our Mysterious Mechanical Workshop and introduce this product?"

"I'm not good at public speaking. But, I'll try. When can I see the drawings?"

"On the day of the Expo," Viren Pearl and Bensov discussed the details of the transaction and then stood up to say goodbye. Just then, the meal was served from the kitchen. "Enjoy your meal, then."

Bensov reluctantly watched the people of Stone Tower leave. He lowered his head and absentmindedly took a sip of soup. Suddenly he complained, "It's cold. Why didn't you serve the food earlier?"

Two days later, at Hongdu Bell Square, the second Grand Expo held by the Kening Empire held its opening ceremony in the Steel Hall, showcasing the industrial achievements and local culture of various countries.

This expo invited 26 countries from around the world to participate, so the media early on dubbed it the "World Expo," which was actually just a gimmick. However, the attendees included many foreign tourists from far and wide, making it a truly international event.

Viren Pearl ran around and secured a small booth for the little-known Arcane Mechanical Workshop.

The night before, a group of seagulls flew over the sea from Shita Town to Hongdu, bringing Viscount Pearl a set of brand new mechanical prosthetic limbs and a stack of heavy design drawings.

Among the over 100,000 exhibits at the expo, the joint booth of Mystic Robotics and Blessing Pharmaceuticals featured only seven items: an artificial mechanical eyeball, a cochlear implant, mechanical limbs, metal neurons, a small battery, hemostatic gel, and mechanical design drawings.

Other items in the exhibition hall are new whale oil generators, coal-fired generators from the fertile continent, high-speed roller printing presses, huge harvesters and exquisitely designed cars, gorgeous luxury clothing, dazzling gems and silks, and a large number of novel daily necessities such as electric ovens, flush toilets, etc.

Despite facing so many potential competitors, the booths of Arcanum and Blessing still sparked discussion on the first day of the expo.

Bensoff's fame brought great popularity to the small booth, and the visitors attracted by the president of the Royal Academy of Sciences soon shifted their attention to the exhibits themselves.

The tens of thousands of parts of a mechanical prosthesis, arranged in a single piece, are enough to leave anyone speechless with the beauty of the craftsmanship. The groundbreaking energy storage device is enough to leave inventors scratching their heads. Doctors in Hongdu are so amazed by the miraculous effects of metal neurons and hemostatic gel that they're willing to cut themselves with scalpels to test the gel's effects.

Viscount Pearl, wearing a tall hat, stood in the center of the booth, bathed in the glare of the flashbulbs. Bensoff, standing nearby, seemed unhappy, muttering, "You were planning to release the drawings from the beginning. That's deceptive."

"Don't worry, Mr. Bensoff. If you crave more knowledge, we can satisfy you. We can make you the best inventor of this era."

"I already am."

"But you can go one step further and become even more talented than a genius." Viscount Pearl gently took off his tall hat and handed it to Bensoff. "Do you want to know the secret of these prosthetic limbs? Then please wear them. Miracles will be watching you."

Chapter 181 Popularization of Prosthetic Limbs, Academic Exchange

Everything was just as Willen Pearl had imagined. The metal prosthesis bestowed by the miracle worker became one of the most popular exhibits at the World Expo, perhaps thanks to the widespread amputation of that era. From workers and soldiers to wealthy businessmen and nobles, people with disabilities were prevalent in all walks of life.

As a domestic product, the metal prosthetic technology not only aroused the admiration and envy of foreign tourists, but also brought pride to the entire Kening Empire. On the afternoon of the first day of the exhibition, Viscount Pearl received an invitation from the Imperial Palace to meet with His Majesty the Emperor again.

Bensoff was misunderstood by the newspaper as the inventor of prosthetic technology, and his explanation was regarded as a dignified and selfless person.

He tried his best to decline the numerous interviews, banquet invitations, etc., but he had to report to the emperor.

So in the afternoon, he entered the palace with Viscount Pearl.

Kevin Ewen spoke in a roundabout way. He first praised the Viscount's selflessness in disclosing his prosthetic technology and expressed the Empire's support for the development of both companies. He then asked Bensoff about his views on the technology and the potential consequences of disclosing the information.

"It's an absolute masterpiece," Bensoff explained, his head bowed. "The design is incredibly sophisticated. The prosthesis itself is dexterous and powerful enough to allow amputees to not only resume a normal life but perhaps even gain a certain strength advantage."

"So, what's wrong with it?"

"The processing is too difficult. Some parts can only be polished by hand bit by bit by the best watchmakers, and the output is not high."

After listening to this, Emperor Evin stared at Viscount Pearl silently.

Wei Lun was not intimidated. "Your Majesty, I petition to establish a branch of the Mechanical Workshop in Hongdu, recruit the best craftsmen in the country, and devote ourselves to the production of prosthetic limbs. We will then cooperate with the Good Mother Hospital to provide free transplants for all veterans who have been injured and amputated during the war."

"Sir Pearl, it takes courage for you to have such an idea." Evin spoke slowly.

"Your servants dare not overstep their bounds. Any success is due to your Majesty's will."

Bensov on the side was absent-minded. He was not interested in the conversation between the nobles and the emperor. It was nothing more than that Viren Pearl needed money and the emperor needed a good reputation. The two would eventually reach a consensus.

What he cared about was the unknown scientist who invented the prosthetic technology and the tall hat that the Viscount handed to him.

He'd spent the past few hours since acquiring the top hat, turning it over and over, trying to figure out why it was so heavy. The material made it impossible to explain, and there were no layers inside. But that was what made it so unusual.

The President of the Royal Academy of Sciences fiddled with his hat in silence.

Soon, the conversation between the Viscount and the Emperor ended satisfactorily.

Ultimately, the Arcane Mechanical Workshop and Blessing Pharmaceuticals received royal investment and, in the Emperor's name, provided free treatment to the Empire's disabled veterans. These two small, rising companies, now backed by the Imperial Family, had become established, emerging enterprises with a strong background.

As soon as he walked out of the palace, Viren Pearl was eager to accept media interviews and announce the news of the free medical consultation.

Just as Bensov was about to leave, he was stopped by the cabinet minister's secretary and pulled into a separate conference room to inquire about the technical parameters of the prosthesis and whether it could be weaponized, etc. It was clear that he was regarded as the inventor.

He always answered: I don’t know.

In the evening, Bensov, who had dealt with all kinds of people in Hongdu, was exhausted both physically and mentally. He dragged his legs back to the research institute and finally had a cup of hot coffee to soothe his irritable nerves.

His assistants and students didn't bother him. Everyone at the institute knew full well that the prosthetic technology making all the noise today definitely wasn't Bensoff's doing. After all, any invention, from concept to implementation, involves repeated trial and error, inevitably leaving behind a wealth of experimental data; it's impossible to create something out of nothing.

Bensov noticed that there were fewer people in the institute today. After asking, he learned that they all took their drawing boards to the expo to copy the original design of mechanical prostheses.

"Let them come back soon. Viscount Pearl has promised to give me the manuscript."

"The dean is amazing!"

Bensov waved his hands in anger and laughter, turned back to the office, and saw the scene in front of him, and suddenly froze in place.

The tall hat placed on the corner of the table now moved to the center position. In front of it was a paper entitled "Application of Radio in the Field of Communications". A breeze blew by, flipping the manuscript, and it seemed to be reading with great interest.

Bensov glanced at the closed window, and beads of sweat began to form on his forehead.

The wizard of the lighthouse sat cross-legged on a cushion with a crystal ball placed on the ground in front of him. He closed his eyes and shared the sense of flying birds.

Lin Bo browsed Bensoff's bookshelves and picked out books that interested him to read.

He has never known much about the world's knowledge system, nor has he a clear idea of ​​how far the empire's scholars have progressed. Now he can take a look at the latest scientific achievements.

Bensov slowly backed away, trying to escape.

But for some reason, his hands and feet were frozen in place. A cold breath penetrated his nervous system. Even though he could feel his hands and feet, he couldn't control them.

He was even taking steps towards the hat.

Finally, he stood in front of the table like a punished student.

The top hat unraveled before Bensov, transforming back into a three-eyed seagull covered in white feathers. The academy president trembled even more violently than before.

A ball of red ink flew out of the ink bottle on the table and landed on the manuscript.

Bensov suddenly stopped shaking. He blinked and looked at the red ink corrections, some of which were calculation errors, some of which were formula errors. After the corrections were made, the manuscript paper would be turned over so that he could see it more clearly.

"This is my thesis," he said dryly.

The ink of the rapidly writing pen paused for a moment, and on the blank space of the manuscript paper, he wrote: "The level is average."

Bensov began to tremble again, but this time he didn't sweat. Instead, his face flushed red, especially after he read the corrections. His face turned as red as an unripe tomato that was half red and half green.

He began to explain, "This is just a rough draft. And I didn't derive this part of the formula."

Written in ink: "Easy mistake."

Bensof, dejected, asked, "So you are the deity Viscount Pearl has been hinting at?"

Mo Shui didn't answer and continued to correct the papers.

"Neither admit nor deny." Bensov perked up and lowered his voice. "So I should assume you're a genius scholar with powerful means. The metal prosthetic limbs you designed indicate your technology is at least a century ahead of its time. You're simply impersonating a god to facilitate your own goals."

Lin Bo smiled and wrote: "From the moment we met, I admired your sharpness."

"With all due respect, gods no longer have a place in this age of reason. Sooner or later, people will realize that the Five Gods are a lie, just like every other virtual concept constructed with language. Only the sky above and the earth beneath our feet are real."

"I hope you will do what you say, and not worship science as a god."

Bensoff, while browsing the corrected papers, replied: "How can science become a god? It is just a set of methodologies."

"God is just a few verses," Mo wrote. "What matters is the people who follow the ideas. How many people do you think believe that technology can solve all problems, just as believers believe that God can save all suffering?"

"Technology can indeed solve all problems! It just takes time." Bensov frowned. "Technology can bring power! It can increase farmland production, boost fishing boats' harvests, and illuminate the nights. These are things that religion cannot achieve."

"However, those who master science are always subordinate to those in power. Your research requires funding, experiments require help, production requires workers, and popularization requires the public. Science is only one link; it cannot solve problems in other links. This is not a dilemma for science, but a dilemma for scientists, and also a dilemma for humanity itself."

Bensov murmured, "One day, technology will be able to meet all the requirements and ensure that humans will have no worries about food and clothing."

"That will also be the moment of human extinction." The ink spread. "Machine research, machine experimentation, machine production, machine consumption. If all this can be put into operation, where will humans be? In the grave. Humanity will be replaced by a more efficient group of machines."