Chapter 519, This Isn't Scientific
Wu Heng waited downstairs for a while.
Two trucks and a passenger bus came from the garage.
Wu Heng climbed into the front passenger seat, while several skeleton servants sat in the back.
"Is Wang Haibing with us?" Wu Heng asked.
Qi Hancai replied, "He's in the bus behind us, along with a few members familiar with electrical work."
It was clear they were heading to the power plant this time.
Without Wang Haibing, no matter how many trips they made, it wouldn't be of much use.
Wu Heng nodded. "Let's go!"
The convoy set off, driving out of the compound.
They headed toward the power plant.
The trip took about twenty minutes.
The convoy arrived at the power plant.
The gate had been welded shut with iron plates, the weeds and snow had been cleared, and skeleton guards could be seen stationed around.
It no longer looked as run-down as it had initially.
The group disembarked and entered the combustion area and the boiler room.
Wu Heng directed the skeletons to transport and assemble the Flame Furnace, replacing the thermal conversion unit in the combustion area.
Behind him, Wang Haibing and a few others watched the skeletons move the large equipment together.
They were a bit stunned.
They gathered and whispered among themselves.
"Aren't we supposed to be restoring power? What are they doing installing these giant rocks in the equipment room?"
"I don't know. It looks like they're replacing the equipment."
"Are they going to burn fuel inside the rocks? If this damages the equipment, it won't be easy to fix in our current situation."
"Let's just watch. Maybe it's some kind of superpowered technology we don't understand yet."
Just then, footsteps approached from behind.
"Move aside, don't block the way."
As they made way, they saw two people carefully carrying containers filled with a golden-orange liquid.
They walked over to where the skeletons were assembling the stone furnace and poured the golden liquid into the rune channels.
The liquid reconnected the broken rune lines.
As the liquid solidified and returned to its original golden hue,
a wave of magical energy spread out, and flames erupted inside the furnace.
The room was instantly filled with scorching heat.
The people who had been whispering behind them stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the roaring flames.
Wang Haigang muttered, "This… How is this possible? This isn't scientific at all. It's completely unscientific!"
He had seen the footage Qi Hancai had shown him.
It depicted a furnace capable of smelting iron.
The plan had always been to use this furnace as a replacement in the combustion area to provide heat.
But he hadn't expected it to ignite flames out of thin air and produce such high temperatures.
It defied all logic.
Wu Heng confirmed the furnace was functioning correctly and asked, "Can it generate power?"
Wang Haibing snapped out of his daze. "I'll check."
He quickly left.
Wu Heng and the others stepped outside.
They waited in the courtyard for a while.
The sound of machines running came from inside, followed by a click.
The emergency lights in the guardroom lit up.
Everyone was delighted.
Wang Haibing ran out from the side, shouting, "It's working! The power is running normally. We did it!"
"Can the military factory operate as well?" Wu Heng asked.
Wang Haibing thought for a moment and cautiously replied, "We need to test it first and gradually supply power to avoid overloading the system."
"How long will that take?"
"We should be done before noon."
Wu Heng nodded. "Alright, handle it together."
"Yes," they all replied in unison.
...…
By noon,
the group returned to the factory.
After a brief wait,
the dim workshop suddenly lit up, and the previously inactive machines hummed to life.
Emergency lights and overhead lamps flickered on one after another.
The survivors quickly realized what was happening and erupted into cheers.
The entire factory echoed with celebration.
"We have power! We have power again!"
"We're definitely the first to restore power."
"I've collected so many appliances, and now I can finally use them!"
"Long live the boss!"
Although they had been using photovoltaic panels,
those had usage limitations and couldn't support high-power consumption at all times.
Especially during the short daylight hours of winter, their stored electricity was limited.
Now, with the power plant operational, it meant they could meet the pre-disaster power demands.
...…
Inside a room,
Wu Heng checked the reputation panel.
He had gained over 100 points, but it didn't feel like much.
The increase might not have been solely due to the power restoration at the military factory.
His reputation had already spread through the radio broadcasts.
It was possible this boost came from that.
Knock, knock, knock!
Qi Hancai entered with Wang Haibing, both of them smiling after successfully restoring the power.
Wang Haibing reported, "Leader, the power supply has been restored. Voltage and circuits are stable. The infrastructure here is in good shape, so everything's running smoothly."
"Good job," Wu Heng praised him before continuing, "You'll be in charge of the power plant from now on. I'll assign some people to assist you."
Wang Haibing's smile widened as he bowed. "Thank you for your trust, Leader. I won't let you down."
Wu Heng smiled as well. "As we agreed."
They had previously agreed that if Wang Haibing restored the power, he would be put in charge of the plant with a dedicated team.
"Thank you, Leader," Wang Haibing said again.
Wu Heng added, "I have two more tasks for you."
"I'm listening," Wang Haibing said, straightening up.
"In addition to the team members assigned to you, I'll be giving you 50 skeletons. You'll need to teach them how to operate the power plant, as well as perform inspections and maintenance."
Wang Haibing's eyes widened slightly in concern.
"Leader, we can handle the power plant ourselves. There's no need to involve the skeletons, right?"
"This ties into the second task," Wu Heng explained. "We plan to restore power at the other bases, and I want the skeletons to manage those plants. You'll be mainly responsible for this factory."
With an abundance of skeletons under his control, and their intelligence increasing with his level,
they were capable of learning new skills.
Power plant operations were one such skill.
The skeletons would be critical not only at the other bases but also for future plans involving interdimensional factories.
Wang Haibing glanced at Qi Hancai, who remained silent. He nodded reluctantly. "I'll do my best to train these skeletons."
Wu Heng nodded and said to Qi Hancai, "Over the next two days, arrange for him to inspect the power plants at the other bases."
"Understood," Qi Hancai replied.
Wu Heng turned to the nearby skeleton "Corpse King" and said, "Bring the skeletons I selected over to work with Wang Haibing starting today."
The sound of clattering bones echoed from downstairs.
Fifty skeletons gathered below.
"Alright, you can head back now. The power plant is in your hands."
"Yes, Leader."
Wang Haibing bowed and left.
...…
After Wang Haibing left,
Qi Hancai relaxed and smiled. "We're probably the first to restore normal power. The other bases will be so jealous when they find out."
Even when they had photovoltaic power,
they had already been the envy of many bases over the radio.
Now, they had restored the power plant, and it didn't even require fuel consumption.
Once this gets out, even the central base will be shocked and envious.
"Let's not announce it just yet. Let's keep it for ourselves," Wu Heng said.
"Understood—quietly getting rich," Qi Hancai replied with a smile.
Wu Heng continued, "How's the blueprint situation at the central base?"
"No updates yet, but I'll check on it later."
"Alright, ask about it and start preparing. We'll take over the airport in the next few days."
"Got it. I'll plan the route."
The two chatted for a while in the room.
Qi Hancai went to oversee the production chains, while Wu Heng returned to Gold-Silver Island through the portal.
...…
Back in his study,
Wu Heng took off his down jacket.
The drastic temperature difference between the two locations was uncomfortable.
After changing into more appropriate clothes, he poured himself a cup of tea.
He sat back at his desk.
He began to think about future development plans.
In the zombie world, the military factory had restored power, and the rest of the production lines could now fully operate.
His job was to ensure a steady supply of raw materials.
Once that was done, the bullet shortage would be solved.
The use of the Flame Furnace at the power plant had given him a new idea.
Maybe other magical structures could be integrated with modern machinery to create new innovations.
"That's worth researching."
Another issue was his reputation.
It had become a bottleneck, growing slowly, with no clear method for improvement.
It was frustrating.
On Gold-Silver Island, expansion was still the priority.
However, for the expansion of the new district, they needed to plan for power supply in advance. He'd have to discuss this with the island's designers.
Wu Heng took a sip of water.
"Also, skill books—Level 18 skills are hard to find."
He had acquired [Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion Spell] from the Snake Emblem Consortium's auction.
But the Gold-Silver Island guild had no Level 18 skill books available for exchange.
Obtaining one on his own would be challenging.
"The old dean mentioned that at Level 15, I could join their research association."
"Maybe I should give that a shot."
The skills the old dean had demonstrated were likely at Level 18.
Learning even a couple of them would be worthwhile.
After resting in the study for a while,
Wu Heng got up and walked out.
As he made his way downstairs, he saw the three maids planting flowers in the garden.
"Master," Robe and Annette greeted him with a bow.
"Master, would you like lunch?" Minnie asked.
"I'm not hungry yet. You go ahead—I'll be over there experimenting with some magic."
"Alright, Master," Minnie replied with a smile.
...…
Wu Heng walked to an open space nearby.
He began studying his skill, [Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion Spell].
The last time he used it against the vampire in the stone coffin, the mansion's ballista had blasted the enemy away.
The results had been impressive.
With proper construction, the skill could be highly effective.
Wu Heng activated the Mansion Spell, and a crack appeared in mid-air. An ancient stone door creaked open, revealing a luxurious hall and a ballista at the entrance.
The spell's size varied depending on the available space.
In the open area outside, the stone door stood nearly six meters tall and four meters wide.
Previously, in the stone house on Antler Island, the door had only been about two meters tall.
The interior layout hadn't changed, but the entrance size had.
In the distance, the three maids paused their work and looked over curiously.
They whispered among themselves but didn't come any closer.
Wu Heng stood at the entrance, observing and thinking about the interior structure.
As his thoughts shifted,
the building behind the stone door began to change.
Trapezoidal metal frames were erected, with machine guns mounted on them, all aimed forward.
He could supply the ammunition himself.
The guns would be fully operational when needed.
But no—the remaining space inside wasn't being utilized efficiently.
The structure shifted again.
A doorway appeared beneath the frames, allowing access to the inner rooms.
Still, he wasn't completely satisfied. It wasn't distinctive enough.
He reworked it several times.
Finally, he settled on a design:
A two-meter-high door at the bottom led to the interior. The second level housed three machine guns, while the third and fourth levels featured fortified artillery positions.
The luxurious living room was cleared out,
transforming it into an armory.
When the portal wasn't available, the mansion could serve as a base for deploying forces.
The machine guns and artillery above would act as a defensive and offensive stronghold.
After several adjustments, he was satisfied.
He instructed the skeletons to move ammunition inside and test the guns and turrets.
When he felt it was good enough and his mana was running low,
he canceled the Mansion Spell, and the stone door vanished.
...…
Back in the living room, he chatted with the three maids.
Near dusk, Andviel returned.
They all gathered in the dining room for dinner.
Wu Heng asked, "Any news from the caravan about the white gunpowder and other materials?"
Wu Heng had personally negotiated the trade with the caravan.
Having the island lord involved lent credibility to the deal and helped move it forward.
But the follow-up work
had been handled by the town hall, which signed the contract with the caravan.
Andviel replied, "No news yet. I'll have someone check tomorrow and inform you."
"Tell them to hurry. It's been long enough."
"Understood. I'll go tomorrow."
After dinner, Wu Heng joined the others in the training room to practice swordsmanship.
Then, they each went to their rooms to rest.
...…
The next morning.
After breakfast, Minnie entered with a member of the guild.
"Master, Sheila Grey sent someone to see you."
Wu Heng looked up.
It was a squad member from the guild.
The man bowed and said, "Island Lord, Sheila Grey requests your presence."
"Do you know what it's about?"
"No, she didn't specify."
"Alright, I'll get ready and head over."
The squad member bowed again and left with Minnie.
If it had been a case or an arrest, they would've come directly to him.
This must be a matter within the guild.
After getting ready, he left the estate.
He took a carriage to the guild.
Standing outside Sheila Grey's study, he knocked lightly on the door.
Then, he opened it and entered.
Sheila Grey sat behind her desk, with her assistant, Shi Yali, standing nearby.
"You called for me?"
Sheila Grey looked up and said, "The guild's rewards are in: two items of Tier 1 merit, seven items of Tier 2 merit, and a bounty of 727 gold coins."