Processing Supplied Materials

Just as he was marveling at it, Shen Jingchuan smiled and stood up, gesturing for Lin Weiyuan to move aside. He then reached out and touched the hidden mechanism on the side of the soft seat, gently turning it with his fingertips.

With a soft click, the wide backrest slowly folded down, and in a short while, the long, soft chair that had been comfortable for three people had been transformed into a flat and spacious bed.

The three members of the Lin Household were stunned and dumbfounded.

Lin Yue stared wide-eyed for a long time, never expecting that the soft and comfortable chair could turn into a bed in the blink of an eye.

Lin Shan frowned and reached out to press the bed surface. The soft mattress was thick and flat, and he couldn't feel any unevenness from the stitching. He found it unbelievable.

"If you can't find a place to stay on a long journey, or if you encounter bad weather, it's fine to spend the night in the car," Shen Jingchuan explained casually. "The bedding can be stored in the hidden compartment at the bottom; you can just lay it out and sleep. It's much more comfortable than sleeping in the open."

As the group was still reeling from the shock, Shen Jingchuan pulled open the roof panel, and the three of them looked up. In the center of the carriage roof was a square piece of equally clear glass, through which sunlight streamed down, illuminating the entire carriage.

Lin Weiyuan raised his hand and pointed vaguely at the ceiling, his tone full of disbelief, "Even the car roof is inlaid with glass?"

Shen Jingchuan simply smiled faintly and offered no further explanation.

While he was talking, the carriage had already driven steadily back to the Escort Bureau compound and stopped smoothly along the wall. Lin Weiyuan came back to his senses and nodded repeatedly at Shen Jingchuan with a firm tone:

"Young Master Shen, you asked me before if this carriage would sell, and I'll be frank with you today—it'll sell perfectly! If the price is right, not only wealthy households and officials, but also major merchants and long-distance caravans along the north and south routes will scramble to buy it."

"Okay." Shen Jingchuan nodded, stood up first, and lifted the curtain. "Let's get out of the car and talk."

The group filed out of the carriage. Lin Shan and Lin Yue had barely touched the ground when they couldn't help but turn back to look at the carriage again, their eyes filled with reluctance, as if every extra glance would be a bonus.

This turn of the head had a significant impact. The two men's gazes swept over the two horses pulling the carriage ahead, and they both stopped in their tracks, turning to look at each other. They both saw utter shock in each other's eyes.

It's Whirlwind Horse!

These celestial Heavenly Horses, capable of traveling a thousand miles a day and possessing an untamed nature, are so rare that ordinary martial artists would covet even one. Forget pulling a cart, simply being able to touch their manes would be an immense stroke of luck. And this Shen Jingchuan, so utterly inhuman, actually uses them as a cart-pulling horse?

Lin Yue's lips twitched. He thought to himself that it was a waste of resources, but when he looked back at the gleaming, imposing four-wheeled carriage, he inexplicably felt that only such a divine steed was worthy of such a wondrous vehicle, and they were quite a perfect match.

The two brothers stood still, not daring to approach the horse, only gazing at it from afar, shaking their heads and clicking their tongues, their eyes filled with envy for what they could not have.

The group returned to the second courtyard and sat down again under the stone pavilion. The cups of fresh tea on the stone table had long since gone cold. The late summer heat had not yet subsided, and the sun was making everyone feel parched. After walking all this way, their throats were dry. Each person picked up their teacup and took a sip. The cool tea was surprisingly refreshing.

Setting down his teacup, Lin Weiyuan went straight to the point, looking at Shen Jingchuan and asking:

"Young Master Shen, may I ask another question? How many carriages like these can your Lineage transport? If you were to sell them all, would the quantity be sufficient?"

Shen Jingchuan shook his head:

"There's only this one right now. The sea route is long, and transporting a whole truckload would take up too much space; we can't transport many trucks in one trip."

Lin Weiyuan was immediately stunned:

"Only one? The young master just asked me how sales were. Without stock, even the best business can't be done."

"This is exactly what I want to tell the chief escort in detail today."

Shen Jingchuan continued, "I plan to open a workshop here to specialize in making these four-wheeled carriages. I will provide the technology. The most crucial component, the steering mechanism, cannot be made locally, so the clan will continuously supply it."

The object wasn't large; a single boat could carry tens of thousands of sets, enough to power thousands or even tens of thousands of carriages. The rest would be easy to handle.

He paused, then said:

"To put it bluntly, the hardest part of making a four-wheeled carriage is never adding two more wheels, but rather figuring out how to make the front wheels turn smoothly."

Once the steering method is mastered, the rest of the chassis and carriages can be made based on this prototype.

Local carpenters and blacksmiths can all make it, but the materials they use are naturally not as good as mine. It's made of ordinary wood and iron, simpler than anything else, but it's enough.

The three members of the Lin Household exchanged glances upon hearing this, and after a moment's thought, they all understood.

That's right. Anyone can sit on four wheels, but no one can turn. The key to this lies in the unseen steering mechanism.

Lin Shan reacted the fastest, his eyes immediately lighting up:

"If that's the case, then it can be used not only as a vehicle for carrying people! It can also be used as a large cart for hauling goods! With four wheels on the ground, it has strong load-bearing capacity and is very stable. It can carry almost twice as much cargo as a two-wheeled mule cart, and it is not easy to tip over on rough roads. It can be used for escorting goods, transporting grain, and trading. What wouldn't it be useful for?"

"Young Master Lin is absolutely right."

Shen Jingchuan nodded:

"I'm planning to do it in two tiers. The first tier is to build it entirely locally. I'll only supply the steering gear, and the rest of the chassis and carriage will be made by local craftsmen according to the drawings. This is cheaper, can be done in large quantities, and can be used for both passenger and cargo transport."

For the other option, I shipped over the entire chassis, wheels, shock absorbers, and steering system, and even supplied the glass for the windows. I only had the cargo box custom-made locally.

This saves a lot of transportation volume, allowing for the transport of many sets in one trip. The resulting vehicles are also much more refined than those produced entirely locally, making them perfect for selling to wealthy households and officials.

He glanced at the three of them and added casually:

"As for my chariot, the clan will only send a small number of them. The materials used are incomparable to ordinary copper and iron; they are light yet strong, tough yet rigid, and cannot be forged locally at all. Such a chariot would fetch an astronomical price, so we only seek quality, not quantity."

Upon hearing this, Lin Weiyuan stroked his beard and laughed heartily, his face full of admiration:

"Young master, you've really got a brilliant plan! Low-end for volume, mid-range for refined products to make a profit, and top-end for special status. A mix of high and low, catering to both passengers and cargo—if this business takes off, I don't even know how big it will be..."