Reducing Costs

Everyone's attention was focused on the Flintlock Gun, and no one noticed the terrifying glint in Su Ling'er's eyes—a cold-blooded Killing Intent.

Upon seeing the final product, Su Ling'er realized the seriousness of the situation.

Keep it confidential.

This matter needs to be kept absolutely secret; not a single word can be revealed to the outside world.

Therefore, the thought of killing all those who knew about it arose in her mind.

Fortunately, her rationality quickly suppressed her Killing Intent.

She strictly controlled all aspects of the production process, and the most important Gunpowder was handled by a minority group, making it virtually impossible for information to leak.

Within the entire Research Institute, only the Yuan Family Father and Son knew about this matter. As long as these two people were controlled, the secret could be kept.

Moreover, the people who manufactured Gunpowder and the people who manufactured guns did not know each other and could not communicate with each other, which greatly reduced the risk of leaks.

Thinking of this, Su Ling'er's Killing Intent gradually subsided, but the heaviness in her heart did not diminish at all. This matter was no longer something she could bear alone.

Quan Yi was so engrossed in testing the Iron Gun that he didn't notice his mother's changing expression.

After testing the gun a few times, Quan Yi put it down with satisfaction.

"As expected of Blacksmith Yuan, even after so many tests, the gun body didn't shake much, and the Gun Barrel didn't get hot. The quality is impeccable." Quan Yi praised Blacksmith Yuan highly.

This Flintlock Gun is of exceptional quality; its barrel's temperature resistance and toughness are both top-notch.

"Could you take me to your workbench? I'm very curious about how this gun was made." Quan Yi was full of curiosity about everything here, and even more curious about how the Blacksmith Yuan usually worked.

"Okay, please follow me." Blacksmith Yuan led Quan Yi inside.

The interior of the independent research institute is spacious, capable of accommodating not only the test range but also individual workbenches.

Upon entering the workbench, the first thing that caught Quan Yi's attention was the large pile of drawings neatly stacked on it.

The drawings were covered with dense drawings, and a familiar expression appeared in Quan Yi's eyes as he looked at them.

Blacksmith Yuan explained, "These are all design drawings for Iron Gun. I've compiled all the drawings together."

These are all design drawings for Flintlock Gun.

Moreover, some of these were drawn by Quan Yi, and they were drawn with remarkable realism.

Quan Yi was also very surprised by this. In his previous life, his painting skills were only at the level of Elementary School, but in this life, he was able to accurately depict the images in his mind.

Quan Yi thought that the feeling of his hands moving at will was probably due to the effect of the Blazing Sun Gauntlets.

With this skill, Quan Yi can use pictures to provide remote explanations during communication.

Quan Yi would draw his general ideas into blueprints and hand them over to Blacksmith Yuan. After understanding them, Blacksmith Yuan would experiment and test their feasibility, and then draw his experimental results into blueprints and improvement plans and hand them over to Quan Yi.

Quan Yi only had a general understanding of firearms, and many of his ideas required experimental support.

Over the course of six months, the two men experimented and made modifications in this way, ultimately creating this Flintlock Gun.

These drawings embody the wisdom and hard work of the two individuals.

Then, Blacksmith Yuan walked to a cabinet on the side, which displayed all kinds of metals and minerals, each with a name written on its underside.

He explained, "These are all metals and minerals that the Young Master entrusted to collect. This part is mainly handled by my son, who is also working hard to study and test the properties and functions of various metals according to the Young Master's instructions."

For the purpose of iron research, Quan Yi commissioned the collection of various metals and minerals.

The materials in this world still need to be studied. Quan Yi's ambitions will not stop at Flintlock Gun, but if he wants to go further, Quan Yi needs to understand more materials.

However, all of this requires years of accumulation and experimentation.

"Can I ask about the cost of this gun?" Upon seeing the mineral materials cabinet, Quan Yi suddenly remembered an important question.

"The Iron Gun that the Young Master just tested must have cost at least three or four hundred Gold Soul Coin, not counting labor. If labor is included, the cost would double," the Blacksmith Yuan explained casually. His tone made it sound as if he were talking about Gold Soul Coin Copper Soul Coins.

"What! Why is it so expensive?" Upon hearing the cost, Quan Yi couldn't calm down. He knew that Soul Grandmaster could only earn ten Gold Soul Coin for winning a battle in the Soul Fight Arena.

"Young Master, this gun alone requires dozens of kilograms of Iron Essence. And the market price for Iron Essence is ten Gold Soul Coin per kilogram. This gun weighs approximately thirty to forty kilograms."

Iron Essence is the essence extracted from ordinary iron ore, and it is extremely tough.

Furthermore, the difficulty of using this Iron Essence to manufacture items is basically the same as the difficulty of refining it.

"So, if you factor in labor costs, its price will double," Blacksmith Yuan explained to Quan Yi.

So that's how it is.

After listening to Blacksmith Yuan's explanation, Quan Yi finally understood why the cost was so high.

"Blacksmith Yuan, can't we use Refined Iron instead of Iron Essence for forging?" Quan Yi asked Blacksmith Yuan.

Refined Iron is one grade lower than Iron Essence, but its strength and toughness are sufficient to withstand the explosion of Gunpowder.

"However, Young Master, if we use Refined Iron, we cannot guarantee that the barrel will not explode. Refined Iron is far less durable than Iron Essence. A Refined Iron will be scrapped in just a few years." Blacksmith Yuan was very puzzled by Quan Yi's question.

In his view, although Iron Essence is expensive, it is far more durable than Refined Iron. If properly maintained, an Iron Essence gun can be used for decades.

Between the two, Iron Essence is clearly more cost-effective.

Quan Yi understood Blacksmith Yuan's idea, but his purpose in making Flintlock Gun was not for his own use, but for the use of family members who did not have Soul Power.

Blacksmith Yuan may not have realized this yet.

The Quan Family has thousands of members, and equipping each of them with a Refined Iron would cost hundreds of thousands of Gold Soul Coin.

Moreover, the density of Refined Iron is too high, and the weight of the Refined Iron is too heavy, making it impossible for ordinary people without Soul Power to use.

Carrying a heavy load of thirty or forty kilograms, just walking is a big problem.

"Blacksmith Yuan, I greatly admire your meticulous attitude, but I currently need at least several thousand Flintlock Gun. If we use Iron Essence, even if our Quan Family is wealthy, we will find it difficult to afford it," Quan Yi explained to Blacksmith Yuan.

Blacksmith Yuan's way of thinking was still stuck in the forging mindset of cold weapons, pursuing the durability and toughness of weapons.

However, this concept does not apply to Flintlock Gun. Compared to the durability of the weapon itself, Quan Yi prioritizes replicability and low cost.

Quan Yi felt it necessary to remind Blacksmith Yuan, since he would need to continue working with Blacksmith Yuan afterward.

"I understand what you mean Young Master. Using Refined Iron can indeed significantly reduce costs, and many Blacksmith can easily use Refined Iron, which can also greatly reduce labor costs."

Furthermore, if durability is not a concern, we can use wood to replace some of the Refined Iron, which would not only reduce weight but also further reduce costs.

After being awakened by the Quan Yi, Blacksmith Yuan was suddenly overcome with fear. He imagined thousands of people holding Flintlock Gun and firing at the same time.

At that moment, he truly realized how terrifying this weapon was.

At the same time, he also developed a deep sense of awe for Quan Yi.