Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

Chapter 197 Inspection

The flight attendant studied the menu with a scowl. Not only had they ordered all four of the "Big Four" recommended main courses, but each of them had also ordered at least three main courses, two side dishes, and a few dim sum. She wrote down a long list, densely packed.

Although everyone had a good appetite, she was still very happy.

"Tsk, tsk, it's so great to be young." She muttered to herself and closed the pen cap first. "Sorry, everyone, please wait a moment. I'll go ask if they have any ingredients."

After a while, she came back.

"Thank you for your support of Lanfang Airlines. No problem, we have plenty of ingredients. The head chef also recommends the Mozambique Rose Lobster at the back of the menu. It's characterized by its thicker texture, yet retains the delicate texture of the lobster itself. This way, after cooking, the broth is retained, giving you a delicious 'bursting' experience. Everyone."

The four people nodded.

"Okay, then everyone should take one." She closed the pen cap and was about to leave when she suddenly noticed that there was another person sitting in the room.

"Oh, sorry, Mr. Lu, you're a parent, right? Sorry, sorry, I didn't notice you just now. What's your order?"

"Spring rolls." Lu Huaiyang did so much business that he didn't even need to look at the menu when ordering. "Just give me a few spring rolls, nothing else. Six to start, with any dipping sauce you want."

"Okay." The purser wasn't surprised. Passengers in this price range had all sorts of strange requests, some wanting to eat more, some wanting to eat less. As a staff member, she simply tried her best to accommodate their requests.

After the flight attendant leaves, the menu remains in the cabin. You can order at any time during the flight by ringing a bell. If you have a strong appetite, you can eat your way through the entire menu.

"Huh~" Shangluo relaxed a little. This sofa was quite comfortable. After adjusting the backrest, his whole body was evenly supported by the springs and rubber. He could finally rest here for a while.

"You guys sit here and don't move around. I'll be out for a while." Seeing that several people were sitting steadily, Lu Huaiyang walked out.

"Tsk." Lu Liang shook his head. "I guess he went out to smoke."

Shangluo wasn't too surprised. Smoking isn't banned on airplanes or trains these days, and his planes only became completely smoke-free in the 20s.

"But are there any activities later?" Shangluo asked, "If not, I plan to take a nap. I'm exhausted from running around."

"There seems to be a captain's welcome party, and the captain will come to greet you personally. But even if you fall asleep now, you will wake up when takeoff."

As he was speaking, the purser came back:

"Excuse me, the captain wants to come and check on everyone. Are you guys free right now?"

Lu Liang glanced at the others and nodded on behalf of everyone: "Please come in."

She sat up straighter to maintain her posture.

"Yoho~" Captain Lin flashed in from outside, "Are there any surprises? Or me~"

Wen Yuan sat up straight in an instant. He looked out the window to confirm that the Ninghe was still in its original place and that he had not boarded the wrong plane.

"Hey, just kidding." Captain Lin stood at the door and didn't come in. "I came up to deliver the flight bag and came to see you guys."

"You're not flying this flight, are you?" Wen Yuan looked at him.

"Ah, you're so ungrateful, kid. I'm a top-class flight instructor at Lan Fang Airlines. Otherwise, how could I have been chosen to test the Ninghe? Before the Ninghe was put into testing, I flew the Hercules, but not this one, the 01. Yours is the improved Hercules 03. But Captain Chen, whom you met before, is the pilot in charge of this plane. You're familiar with Shangluo, right? He sat in front of you both times."

"Is he going aboard the Ninghe for training?"

"Yes. He's going up there to familiarize himself with the operation. The company may be deploying a supersonic passenger aircraft for civil aviation in the coming years. So, besides me, who regularly flies the Ninghe, I also have to be able to fly other people in the company. Um, I remember they have pink lobsters from Mozambique this time? Did you order them? Of course. That's all. Have a pleasant journey. I'm off to deliver the food."

"Hmm." Han Xingzhi glanced at the door. "Although he can be a bit off-key sometimes, Captain Lin is a very reliable man. He's much more capable than my uncle."

The cockpit was large, divided into two compartments, front and back. Besides the two front seats, there were seats for the navigator and radio operator in the back. There were also two pilots rotating in the crew lounge, for a total of six people.

Captain Chen is the first captain of this flight. He is responsible for takeoff at the starting point and landing at the destination. The cruising phase in between will be taken over by the rotation crew.

Holding his flight bag, Captain Lin walked into the Hercules' cockpit. He greeted the navigator and communicator next to him, then walked to the front row of the cockpit and pressed the back of Captain Chen's chair: "Here's your flight bag, and two packs of cigarettes."

"Thank you." Captain Chen didn't look back. He was still doing the flight check for takeoff.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"That's all. Thank you, huh? Wait." He suddenly turned around. "You know what, I do need your help with something."

He pointed to the instrument ahead that showed the draft. "It's strangely overweight. I don't know why. Could it be that they brought large luggage? But shouldn't large luggage be reported?"

"No." Captain Lin shook his head. "Heavy cargo like the Shen Chrome was transported back on the Ninghe. That kind of stuff isn't convenient to transport on a passenger plane. It's your fault."

"I've checked everything, and there's nothing wrong. How about you go and take a look for me? I'm pretty busy here."

"Okay." He took the flashlight from the co-pilot and walked out of the cockpit, passing Shangluo and the others' "Tianzihao Suite," and descended the stairs to the first floor. Then, with the help of the flight attendant, he opened the cargo hatch. This was a cargo plane, and the luggage compartments were all below the waterline. Besides the dedicated cargo door, this was the only other accessible door.

Holding a flashlight between my teeth, I climbed the ladder into the cargo hold, where the lights were still on. Several Constantinia Airport staff were loading cargo.

"Ah, hello." The staff member in the peaked cap showed his work badge. "Are you from Lan Fang Airlines? Everything here is running normally."

"Let me check the cargo. It looks like something here is overweight. Did you find anything?"

"No, everything is normal here."

Captain Lin held up his flashlight and walked deeper into the cargo hold. The luggage here had all been boxed in advance, and there was also a lot of cargo to be transported, but it didn't look anything special.

"Hmm?" There was a wooden box that was placed a little askew, and it looked like someone had moved it.

"Open it." He pointed at the wooden box.

"But sir, I can't do that without the captain's permission."

Captain Lin took out the intercom and said, "Here's the intercom, confirm it. Then open the box and let me check it."

Flight safety is no small matter. Moreover, there are important people on this plane, so he knows that no matter how careful he is, he can never be too careful.

"Yes."

After a brief confirmation, they used a crowbar to open the wooden box, revealing many large and small suitcases.

Captain Lin went up and weighed it.

It is the weight of ordinary luggage, which obviously cannot reduce the draft.

"Put it back on. I'll check something else. Just stand still."

Chapter 198 This Heart is Bright

"Bang!" Another box opened. Captain Lin refused to believe anything. The more he couldn't find it, the more suspicious it seemed. He always felt like there was something strange going on here, like something was hidden in one of the boxes.

"You feel it too?" A familiar voice appeared behind him - Lu Huaiyang was holding a cigarette, and the smell of smoke was coming over.

"Hmm, I always feel like there's something. Captain Lu, you're a professional investigator, right? What do you usually do in this situation?"

"In this case, I should first ask you, what is the reason for your suspicion?"

"This plane has a waterline gauge, and that gauge isn't working properly. It looks like there's something very heavy on this plane."

"Have you ever considered that it's the instrument itself that's malfunctioning? After all, this aircraft has been in service for quite a while, even though it's just been renovated?"

"I'll leave the instrument issue for last. It's best to be prepared for the worst - what if something goes wrong? Your daughter, your apprentice, and that auspicious kid are all up there. And the guy named Han, I know his uncle; we've had dinner together."

Lu Huaiyang looked down at the boxes and said, "I remember you are also a Lei Xiu, right?"

"Of course, those who can fly planes are all Thunder Cultivators. It seems there are also Sword Cultivators, but our approaches are different. Thunder Cultivators develop the skills of the aircraft to the smallest details, while Sword Cultivators can directly 'control' it from the outside."

"Then our perception should be the same. I also felt something was strange, so I walked around several times with a cigarette in my mouth, but I couldn't find it. It seems that because it's not an evil object, it's hard to find because it's not an evil object."

"There are many things in this world that are not evil but harmful."

Lu Huaiyang nodded. "I understand what you mean. You pilots, make sure your work is done meticulously. My job is to ensure everything runs smoothly. 'The world is full of troubles, and it cannot be solved by one person alone.' If I can't find anything, it probably doesn't have any malicious intent, so I'll just assume it doesn't exist. However, flight safety does need to be considered."

"Flight safety? Well, not a big problem." Captain Chen muttered over his shoulder, then continued to tinker with something with his head down.

"What's the specific reason?" Lu Huaiyang asked.

"Although something seems to have gained weight, it's not exceeding limits. The level gauge is also normal and hasn't affected the aircraft's trim. The flight manual says this is safe, so it's not a big deal. In fact, I suspect it's most likely an instrument issue, but I'm too busy here, so I asked Captain Lin to check it out."

"Then can we tell from the outside whether there is really something there, or is there something wrong with the instrument?"

"Probably not. There are already strong winds and waves here, and the plane won't be pushed down to a depth visible to the naked eye just by a few hundred kilograms of weight."

"So what are you guys busy with?" Lu Huaiyang was a little puzzled. Ever since he entered the plane, Captain Chen and his co-pilot had been tinkering around the control panel.

"Oh, there's a broken light bulb here. Puff puff~" He said, blowing air at the light bulb in his hand. "Anything else? If not, please leave. We still need to fix the light bulb."

Lu Huaiyang returned to the suite, his cigarette still unstubbed. He glanced at the children in the room, then went to the bathroom to put it out before sitting down.

"Dad, what happened?" Lu Liang asked.

"Small problem." It was indeed a small problem for him—as a Qigong practitioner, he could protect everyone on this plane even in a routine air disaster. This was why Lan Fang Airlines used Qigong practitioners like Captain Chen to pilot their luxury airliners; it was a safer option. While there were some minor "uncomfortable" moments on the plane, it wasn't a big deal for him. After all, he was a "reliable adult." Besides, they weren't afraid of any "threats." Including Captain Chen, there were six Qigong practitioners on this plane, enough to destroy a nation six times over.

After they boarded, the other cabins followed suit. The plane was all business class, but above that, there was a first-class cabin and their "First Class" suite, a special suite. The first-class and business-class cabins were arranged on the first floor, while their cabin was behind the cockpit, between it and the galley. This made ordering easy.

The announcement of takeoff blared over the suite's PA system, but the flight attendant himself made an appearance. Shangluo and Wen Yuan, seated on the sofas, could remain seated, just fasten their seatbelts. Lu Liang and Han Xingzhi, seated in swivel chairs, needed to turn forward. As for Lu Huaiyang's window seat, that one couldn't be moved; it had to face forward.

After clearing away the snack plates and drink cups, the purser closed the suite door.

The Ninghe and the Hercules. Two marvels of human industry, these two giant aircraft were oriented east and west, respectively, to avoid interfering with each other's routes.

"Ninghe-Lanfang 1002, good afternoon. Cleared to Galata Air Traffic Control as planned, using runway 3i, departing according to special procedure 1419."

The departure procedure for the Ninghe was very simple, because the Ninghe was not a civilian aircraft at all. Once it took off, it was beyond the jurisdiction of any air traffic control, unless it descended to an altitude where it could be "controlled".

"Hercules 3 - Lanfang 2003, good afternoon. Cleared to Galata Air Traffic Control as planned, departing using runway A1i according to PIKAS 11. Cruising altitude 3300."

The Hercules' departure procedure was much longer, and the radio operator expertly navigated the communication with the control tower. As the Hercules reached its designated position on the taxiway, the Ninghe independently maneuvered to the start of Constantinia's longest runway. Two massive rocket engines were poised for launch.

"Lan Fang 1002, calm ground wind, clear for takeoff."

"Lan Fang 2003, calm wind on the water, ready to take off."

In order to save time, the air traffic controller issued take-off instructions to the two giants at the same time.

The Hercules's twelve piston engines drove six pairs of propellers, accelerating the Marmara Sea water into a mist blasted by the high-speed air currents. The massive 12-ton fuselage began to glide across the surface. Simultaneously, the Ninghe ignited its two solid rocket engines. The deafening roar forced the air traffic controllers in the control tower to tighten their noise-canceling headphones, as the noise was like launching a rocket from the runway.

The two behemoths flew east and west, respectively. As their noses crossed, Lin and Liu, each using their Qigong-training vision, caught the other's gaze. They exchanged a smile and, with the speed of a Thunder Cultivator Qigong, gave each other a thumbs-up.

"See you in Yujing."

"See you in Yujing."

The Ninghe immediately lifted its front wheels off the ground and began a vertical climb, a maneuver that surpassed all civil aviation safety regulations. The invisible wake vortex behind it shattered the passing leaves—hence why other runways had to halt takeoffs. The wake vortices drawn by these two behemoths were terrifying, and the consequences of being caught in them were no better than those of the fallen leaf.

Less than a minute after takeoff, the sonic boom of Ninghe breaking the sound barrier was like thunder in broad daylight, sweeping across the sky over Constantinople.

Victoria glanced out the window and refocused her gaze back to what was in front of her: "Go on."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Titus replied. "We've just received an inquiry from New Antioch in America, asking if we activated the Lighthouse without prior discussion. Do you wish to answer the call?"

Victoria was silent for a moment.

"Titus, is everything you saw true?"

"It is absolutely true, my lord. I witnessed with my own eyes the brave young man who took on the Roman king's murderous karma and earned the forest's recognition. The problem that has plagued us for so long has been resolved, and this is only the beginning."

"Then there's no need to answer." Victoria leaned back. "No matter what New Antioch decides, Project Lighthouse will not be terminated. This is my final decision, and it's also the joint decision of the Senate, the Oracle, and the Palace of Muses. The time to set out towards infinity has come, and we cannot fall behind Aurora."

"Understood." Titus nodded.

"Also, convey my oral instructions and send a brief letter to the Eastern Empire. The contents are as follows. He will know."

She sat up straighter to adjust herself:

"Augustus, the Moon Prince, respectfully presents this letter to the throne of the Great Emperor, the Sun Prince: This heart is bright, the moon is full and flawless."

Chapter 199 Artifact

The Hercules entered a stable flight state over the Aegean Sea and cabin service began.

First, I replaced the flowers on the table with a fresh fruit platter. Besides common fruits like apples, there were also a number of unusual Southeast Asian fruits. While they were all fragrant, they all had one thing in common: at first glance, they looked completely unpredictable, with their skins often oddly shaped. Especially the pineapple.

Next came lunch. It wasn't cooked in the kitchen; it was pre-prepared. Instead of tinfoil plates, it was served in bowls and plates. According to the order, Shangluo's menu consisted of a cold appetizer, four main courses, a main course, a soup, two snacks, and a drink.

Shangluo discovered that there were some "tricks" to the menu, because Nanyang cuisine also has a level of Nanyang flavor from light to heavy, which is basically whether it looks like a local Nanyang dish, whether the name is a transliteration, and whether the appearance is "muddy".

In the absence of any recommendations, Shangluo temporarily only ordered the items at the front of the menu.

For the cold appetizer, I ordered some rojak that was a bit more "Nanyang" in style. The menu said it was a snack sold everywhere on the streets of Singapore. It was a mixed dish made of eggs, fried dough sticks, vegetables and fruits, with an appetizing lime sauce and a richer shrimp paste.

The main courses were familiar-looking dishes: three-cup chicken, pan-fried yellow croaker, seaweed and oyster pastries, and golden oatmeal shrimp. The soup was a Nanyang broth with bok choy and soft tofu—a Nanyang version of the Pearl Jade White Jade Soup, differing from the Kinai version in that oysters and pepper were added to the broth. However, the menu still included the customary phrase "Emperor Taizu collapsed from hunger on the roadside." Dim sum consisted of crispy stir-fried taro hearts and sweet tofu pudding. The drink was lime juice, and the main course was nasi lemak.

"Burp~" He was full and burped a little. He found that this was the most normal meal he had ever eaten, because the previous ones were so strange.

He tried eating pig's trotters for breakfast at Zhu Xianxun's place several times; he ate jelly on a rocket traveling at twice the speed of sound; he ate fairy root radish soup and a fairy root radish banquet in the cafeteria; he ate a pile of bright red braised radishes and braised pork at Lu Qianhu's house; he even went on a fast, eating nothing but glucose solution for several days.

This "simple meal" turned out to be the most normal and sumptuous meal he had eaten in a long time, with meat, vegetables, soup, and drinks.