Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

They walked towards the depths of the Weaving Bureau, passing through the first and second entrances.

There are sentries and Jinyiwei standing at every entrance. The further you go inside, the more Jinyiwei there are. I have seen five or six along the way. This place is not for ordinary people to enter.

"Eh??? Shangluo, why are you here?"

The sudden sound made Shangluo stop. He looked to the side and saw "the three of them".

"Yo~" Shangluo also waved.

Zhu Xianxun glanced over there, then looked at Shangluo: "Your classmate?"

"Yeah, in our class."

"That's pretty impressive. Can you come in here? When I was a kid, they wouldn't let me in because they were afraid I'd break something."

"They should be here to visit and do an internship?" He looked at the three people, "right?"

"Yes, yes, our department has to visit here often to stay in touch with cutting-edge technology."

The other two looked like they were about to say something, but Shu Wenhui, who was walking in the middle, quickly grabbed their arms and looked at Shangluo: "Let's go, then. See you tomorrow!"

"Why are you pulling us in? I haven't finished my sentence yet. I have to fulfill my wish after I passed the second choice! Why?!"

After dragging the two people all the way out, the three of them used the token to go out of the second door, and then Shu Wenhui let go of their arms.

"Why are you pulling us in? We usually don't see each other, and it's hard to say a few words."

"Don't you see who's leading him? The one with the three-barrel gun on his head."

"Three barrels? Ah!!! That's it! That's the Admiral Weaving General!"

"Ahhh! It's him! It's over! He's seen!"

They were terrified, as if they had just seen their homeroom teacher, their boss, their boss, their boss, their boss, their boss immediately above them. A powerful figure suddenly appeared before them.

"Your classmate is so busy, he is such a good kid." Zhu Xianxun praised.

"Before they were busy with me, I saw them from a distance sitting in front of the vending machine drinking Wangzai milk. I don't know what they were talking about, but they looked very happy." Santong, who was walking in front, muttered, "They must have seen me this time. Or rather, they saw the Santong on my hat. They probably don't recognize what the Emperor looks like, because the Emperor has a different aura when he wears a peaked cap. But they recognized me, so they said that the county magistrate is not as good as the current one. I am the Admiral of Textiles."

"By the way, what does the General of Weaving do?" Shangluo asked.

"Actually, it is." Zhu Xianxun hesitated for a moment. This was a bit embarrassing to ask in person, and usually no one would ask this.

"It's actually the eunuch in charge of textile production." Santong answered himself, "But after the eunuch system was abolished, the eunuchs are now filled by the Jinyiwei. Their duties are exactly the same as the original eunuch in charge of textile production, which is to oversee the textile bureau for the emperor. Basically, they have all been replaced. For example, Yujing has the Yujing Garrison General, the Customs has the General in Charge of Customs Defense, and the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau has the Casting General. Although it used to be held by strange people, this job is very important and cannot be left unattended."

"Can I ask why?" Shangluo asked. "It's not nice to ask too many questions, but as you two know, I'm from the next town over, and I don't know much about the rules here."

"Because it is indeed very important. In front is where the weaving bureau weaves - I remember this is also where you have it, you will know once you take a look. This is also what we want to show you."

There was an elevator in front of me, but it didn't go up, but down like a vertical shaft.

Walking into the elevator, Shangluo smelled the scent of incense. The incense was quite dry, driving away the slight musty smell in the air, but the air still had a faint chill.

The reason for the coldness was the elevator's control panel. There was a row of 16 buttons. Aside from the first floor above ground, the remaining 15 floors were underground. There was a building below.

"Is this also the weaving bureau?"

"Yes," Zhu Xianxun explained, "The Weaving Bureau has a lot of sophisticated equipment, sophisticated personnel, and sophisticated work. This is the downtown area of Yujing. It's too noisy outside, so it's quiet enough underground."

"But this is too deep."

"Because there's a subway underground, only by digging here can we avoid the vibrations from the subway." Zhu Xianxi took out his token and said, "Get ready. Stand behind me. You need to show your badge to enter."

Twelve floors underground, there is no sound at all.

After getting off the elevator, the air conditioner inside blew fresh air from outside and also lit incense to drive away moisture, making the twelfth underground floor almost as dry as the ground, and with a more comfortable and constant temperature.

It's quiet here, isolated from all outside sounds. Presumably, the temperature and humidity here are more stable year-round.

However, behind the closed mahogany door in front, there seemed to be a lot of rustling sounds and faint voices of conversation. I could also vaguely hear the content, and someone was mumbling "0111011101100001"

"We're going in there?"

"No, we can't disturb them while they're working. We can just watch from the side." Santong replied. After all, this was his territory.

He led the way, using a key to unlock a small door next to the mahogany gate. Behind the door was a passageway, ending in another identical door. But the passageway wasn't completely enclosed—a huge floor-to-ceiling window stretched along the entire left side, offering a view of the room to the left.

The window was two-way, allowing people outside to see in and vice versa. Standing at the door, Shangluo could see the scene inside the room—a densely packed room filled with semi-automatic "looms" made of steel. The word "loom" is in quotation marks, as the looms didn't weave silk, but copper wire.

Before each loom sat a professional from the Weaving Bureau. They all wore glasses—Shangluo had seen them before. They were like head-mounted microscopes, used for precision work. He'd worn them in Yangzhou, and he'd worn them during his metalworking practice in Mount Wutai. Unlike the metalworking practice next door, where Wen Yuan and her classmates just sharpened hammers, this one involved hand-twisting the components of the loom. Without them, it was impossible to see clearly. Neither could he see the dictionary-thick book next to him.

Chapter 414 The Real Weaving Bureau

Now, the professionals in the weaving bureau sit at their looms, meticulously working. Following a prescribed pattern, they wind coils of copper wire onto the loom board. The loom board is already pre-stitched with warp and weft threads, and their job is to weave the copper wire upwards to create the knots.

At every intersection of the warp and weft, they would weave copper wire into a left-hand or right-handed magnetic core. Every time they wove, they would glance at the large book beside them. The book was densely written with "0111011101100001." This was what Shangluo had just heard at the door.

This book is the procedure.

"This is the Weaving Bureau." Zhu Xianxun stood behind the glass. Although it was two-way glass, allowing them to see each other, no one inside was paying attention to their actions. Everyone was focused on their own work.

“Are they programming?”

"Yes, they're programming. They're weaving the programs from the books onto the core boards in the form of core nodes. Multiple core boards will form a core array after weaving. Large core arrays can store 4000 to 10000 bytes and are typically used in battleship radar command centers, large differential engines in the Huanglu Library, and so on."

"So my classmates are going to do such an amazing job??? I thought they were here to make fashion patterns!"

"Ah, that's indeed one of the Weaving Bureau's responsibilities. But programming the magnetic core array is the Weaving Bureau's most important task right now. Each of these programmers is a national treasure. You heard they get paid very well, right? That's what they do. Don't you have some too?"

[Yes. I've read the records. It seems your first lunar landing also used magnetic core storage nodes like this?]

"That one seems much smaller than this one. Wait, what's that?" Shangluo saw a massive magnetic core array the size of a shipping container in a corner of the room. The core boards were densely stacked dozens of times, and the cables connecting them were tied together like pigtails. The programmers responsible for tying these cables were quite interesting, using pink ribbons tied up, making them look very chic.

"That," Zhu Xianxun took a look. "That's the magnetic core array the Lianshan will use. The Lianshan is equipped with an unprecedented large-scale multi-band radar array, used for air defense operations in multiple batches at near, medium and long ranges. These are not only used for radar detection, but also for calculating firing parameters, which are then transmitted to each turret through the fire control system. Our shells are also programmed shells. When the shells are fired, the coils will sense the explosion height and set the explosion height. Both large and small artillery pieces will accurately explode at the predetermined height. The program to complete these complex tasks is written here."

"Ah, as expected, my feeling is right, they are indeed very powerful people."

"Can't you sense it? I remember you." Zhu Xianxun gestured with a hammer.

"That's different. They used spiritual energy to sense the machine spirit, while they truly understand the essence of it all. I just learned it naturally, just like learning my mother tongue, just like learning martial arts by carrying water and chopping wood. They are using human knowledge to communicate with nature. In comparison, I think they are more powerful. And what they can do, I may not be able to do - right, brother."

He solemnly asked Zhu Xianxi, "What exactly is the Lianshan used for? We don't have any enemies anymore, right? Could it be that our imaginary enemy has such a formidable air assault force?"

"Perhaps." He glanced at Shangluo. "Our enemies are in the dark, and you've seen quite a few of them. We've tried to eliminate many hidden dangers, but the snake threat still makes it difficult for Rome to take care of itself. We must also be prepared. This is why the Weaving Bureau is so important - you wanted to ask earlier if there are any different rules between your family and here. Well, I tell you, the rules are the same, just one rule: everything must be done in secrecy."

He continued, "Although our country adheres to the imperial examination system and the emperor governs the country with tranquility, outside of the six ministries, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has its own set of rules, and these matters are usually kept secret. Only by keeping them secret can we improve efficiency and get things done. For example, regarding the cultivation of immortals, we seek progress in secrecy and quietly distribute carrots to everyone. If we bring it to the cabinet for discussion, it will take two hundred years to accomplish anything."

"So this is what it is like today's spirit stones?"

"Yes." Zhu Xianxi nodded. "If we had revealed the existence of the spirit stone on the moon earlier, there would have been chaos. There are many old men who don't want to die, and everyone will fight to survive. It was only after you came and found the Ten Directions Pure Land that we found a buffer, and we were able to bring this matter out of the cabinet for expanded discussion. However, as long as human society exists, problems between people will continue to arise."

"for example?"

"For example..." Zhu Xianxun thought for a moment, "For example, there are always strange things happening - for example, the previous one is one of the strangest ones."

He glanced at the third brother and asked him to open the front door.

All three of them went in, and Shangluo saw "that thing" at a glance. It was indeed what he wanted to see.

The entire Hercules control console was there, the damn lightbulb still on. The magnetic core array that had been in the Hercules' nose had been removed and moved to the side, connected by a dense network of cables.

There were no power cords plugged in on either side.

And the damn lightbulb was still on.

"Good boy, it hasn't been solved yet?"

The third brother shook his head. "After you told us that day, we've been handling it level by level. I went to see it, then the generals of the Imperial Guard, and finally even Master Lan came to see it—and no one was able to do anything. We even asked Master Sa to take a look a few days ago, but he just smiled and said nothing. Maybe this is God playing a joke on us, but we really don't know how to solve this problem."

"So this is a result for now." Zhu Xianxun put his hands behind his back. "I brought you here to see it and give you feedback. Anyway, we've already removed this thing from the Hercules III and placed it in the Weaving Bureau for regular inspections by professionals. Maybe we can find some results."

The green light bulb remained lit, as if mocking everyone present. Perhaps this was a joke to Master Sa Tianshi, but to everyone present, it was still an unsolved mystery.

"So, keep working hard." Zhu Xianxun patted his shoulder. "The person who tied the bell must untie it. This lightbulb is like our other enemies lurking in the unknown. Maybe one day, you'll find a problem with it and be able to solve its problem. But for now, leaving it here should serve as a warning. Many people will become complacent because of our golden age. Later, I plan to bring those who need to calm down here to visit and let them know that there are still many unsolved mysteries in this world."

Chapter 415 Technical Route

"But then again, we're not completely passive." As the weaving general, "Santong", who manages the weaving center of this program, straightened his back slightly.

"According to our research, we've discovered some properties of that light bulb: First, the problem isn't with the bulb itself. The bulb goes out when we destroy its ability to glow—by crushing it with two fingers."

"That's to be expected." Shangluo nodded. "We didn't try to destroy the light bulb on the plane before. What about after the replacement?"

"It's the same thing after the replacement. It's not just this one light bulb that's showing its power, it's the entire system. It's all here."

He gestured towards the control panel in the room, which consisted of arrays of magnetic cores connected together by cables.

"This is the minimal architecture of the 'system.' If you take any of these things apart, the lightbulb won't light up—so turning it off isn't a problem; just reach out and pinch it. But the key is, we haven't figured out where the energy for this thing comes from. As soon as you connect these things together as a whole, it lights up inexplicably."

"Is it related to the Machine Soul?"

Zhu Xianxi shook his head. "I know there's a machine spirit in your car. But the nature of a machine spirit is the same as that of a Tianyi nobleman. They can't perform any work, and naturally they can't light up a light bulb. Of course, a Tianyi nobleman can chant spells, but that's another matter. But we haven't sensed any reaction to any spells from it."

"Well, it seems we can only leave it alone. The only clue at the moment is that Master Sa Tian smiled after seeing it?"

"Right. So, maybe when you reach Master Sa Tianshi's realm, or if you ask Master Sa Tianshi directly, you'll be able to be sure. This thing doesn't have much power, but it does have a lot of mysteries. Maybe it has a great origin. But there's nothing we can do about it for now, so let's put it aside for now."

"I'll try to ask Master Sa Tian later."

"I think even if you ask Master Sa Tian, he probably won't answer. The old man just enjoys watching us have fun." Zhu Xianxun had no choice but to shake his head. "He's probably just giving us questions—who made this rule? Everyone, big or small, likes giving others questions to test themselves."

"So the exam is our national foundation, right?"

"Ah, that's true." Zhu Xianxi pressed his forehead. "We all have our own assessments to face. Even though we may not have to worry about food and clothing, we still need to learn and improve throughout our lives. Oh, and speaking of learning, I want to copy homework again - what is the technical route behind this magnetic core board?"

"That's something I'd like to ask you, Senior Brother. How well do you know about my family?"

Zhu Xianxun looked around and saw no one else.

"Santong, tell me."

"Okay." Santong paced a few steps. "Where should we start? Let's start with the name. This name can express our attitude. We will call your family, Jishijun: Zhongguo."

"What do you mean?"

"It has two meanings. The first is the pronunciation, which is the same on both sides, so I won't go into details. From the pronunciation to the essence, it's the same. The second is more important: Zhong means the eldest brother of the father, which means second only to the father, which is similar to the meaning of 'Yafu'. The Ming Dynasty is our 'father country', and calling your family 'Zhongguo', means that it is 'another family in our hearts second only to the father country' - in short, it means the second uncle, the most important person in the family besides the father. You are the cousin from the second uncle's family, and we must take good care of you, otherwise we will let the second uncle down."

Zhu Xianxun added, "We're looking forward to meeting Zhongguo again at the summit in the future. However, at present, although we can be compared with Zhongguo in some cutting-edge technologies, our overall technological level is still far behind. Therefore, we have established the 'Zhongguo Technology Redevelopment Committee' in Fengjing. Even the name has a Zhongguo feel, right? We are trying to analyze feasible technical paths from the fragments of the heavenly book, and then conduct feasibility studies at the Fengjing research institute. Speaking of which, you should have met one of the main persons in charge there?"

"I don't think he has." Santong replied, "But he should have seen the son of the person in charge?"

"Which one?"

"Gao Shiyu," Zhu Xianxun replied. "Gao Shiyu's father and the White Star team were all in attendance. They're primarily researching aviation, which is the easiest area to catch up to, as we're more likely to make breakthroughs in aerodynamics, materials, and extreme operating conditions. But other things, like your 'cell phone,' there's absolutely no way to predict it. So, I want to ask you, what's the path for this thing?"

Three minutes later.

"Ah! Laser engraving? What a great idea! I didn't think of that."

"So what were you thinking about before?"

Zhu Xianxi pointed to the battleship's magnetic core array outside. "There are size limitations on a battleship. It needs to be placed behind the radar array atop the island. We've already built the island as majestic as a watchtower to accommodate it. But on land, there are no limitations. We're planning a magnetic core array as large as a building, with an induction coil larger than the Songjiang Tower. We'll use electromagnetic waves circling the Earth's surface to transmit energy and information, so a single induction coil will be all that's needed to operate a personal terminal."

"Like a crystal radio?"

Shangluo knew about this thing - a crystal radio, which is essentially a passive radio wave receiver. It directly uses the radio waves themselves to produce sound without amplification, so the signal is quite weak.

"Yes, that's right. Actually, Fetion cards work the same way now. The energy for the signal comes from the Bao'en Temple Pagoda and the spiritual veins of various locations. However, the spiritual network can't transmit energy, only information—just like the Tianyi Nobleman, the spiritual network itself doesn't perform any work. Therefore, only Qigong practitioners can analyze the spiritual network themselves, and then only they can see it. You can see it directly because someone has decoded it for you and reflected it. We're thinking about whether we can amplify this thing even more, so that everyone can use it on their mobile phones."

"That doesn't seem feasible. At best, it would allow everyone to use handheld radios. Network data has both uplink and downlink, and local data must also be uploaded to complete interaction."

"Never mind that for now. I think your approach is more powerful. Exactly. Exactly! Computing is about information; it doesn't have to be massive to analyze every detail. As long as the analytical equipment is sensitive enough, even if the computing mechanism is only the size of a fingernail, information can still be extracted from it. Ah! I get it! It's just like rice noodle rolls!"

"Steamed Vermicelli Roll?"

"It's like rice noodle rolls. As long as the ingredients are spread evenly enough, every piece you cut will have the same ingredients. Just like flower steamed buns, every slice you cut will be the same. A pot of eight-treasure porridge, as long as it's cooked evenly enough, can also ensure that there are eight treasures in every spoonful. A steamed bun, as long as it's cooked evenly enough, can also ensure that there are all kinds of grains in it. There's no need to make it big to prevent information loss; it can also be made smaller!"

[Indeed, cookies are made by first making a patterned dough, such as a long strip of chess piece pattern, and then cutting each piece into a chess piece pattern. Although the volume of the dough itself does not change, the pattern can be replicated infinitely. If you cut it infinitely small, you can have an infinite number of chess piece patterns. But why is it so weird?]

"Right." Zhu Xianxi slapped his head again. "This is just like the Dragon Pill and the Snake Pill. They both provide the same effect. The Dragon Pill transforms into a dragon upon encountering it, using spiritual energy to shatter boundaries. But the Snake Pill is different. The Snake Pill only provides information related to breaking through realms. Once you have the information and insights, you can operate it yourself. There's no need for the pill to provide everything."

【Is this time right?】

"Just like the message of a word doesn't change depending on its size. A rice-grain microcarving is too small to be seen with the naked eye, while the characters on the Yangshan stone carvings are as big as a building, yet the meaning is the same! To make it clear, you don't have to make it that big; a microscope for each person will do the trick."

【This is really right.】

"Oh my." Zhu Xianxi shook his head. "I learned something. You don't know, I've long felt that there was a problem with the magnetic core array - because our magnetic core array is produced by the Weaving Bureau, each magnetic core plate cannot exceed the size of the workbench, otherwise it will be impossible to weave. Integrating a large number of magnetic core plates into an array is another complex technology. As you can see, all kinds of wires are connected there like twists. We even have to make 'magnetic core plates of magnetic core plates.' But if we use fine micro-carving to replace the magnetic core nodes, it will be fine. I'll try it."