Chapter Eleven: The Steam Engine

Jiang Chuan took the notebook from Edmund and looked it over carefully. The first page listed the names of more than a dozen children. Reading through them gave him a headache, so he put the notebook away and smiled. "This is too much trouble. Just take me to see them."

Jiang Chuan and Edmund went to the old barracks. Most of the soldiers had been cleared out, so the barracks were now being used to house the children.

The children were still just children, after all. With the Bloodfang Gang no longer oppressing them, they ran and jumped all over the house, full of joy.

When they reached the third room, Edmund said, "Children, the President is here today to discuss the arrangements for getting you home."

Jiang Chuan sat down on the floor and asked, "Do you all still remember where you lived?"

A little boy said, "President, my big brother is the bravest knight in Demacia! He even let me ride a big horse once. It was so impressive!"

Jiang Chuan picked the boy up and smiled. "Do you still remember where your home is?"

The boy lowered his head and said sadly, "I don't remember. I only remember that from the top of the mountain behind my home, you could see Silvermine City in the distance."

"Don't worry," Jiang Chuan said calmly. "I'll take every one of you home. I promise."

A little girl tugged at Jiang Chuan's pants and said softly, "President, my home is in Silvermine City. I remember the way."

Jiang Chuan rubbed the little girl's head. "What's your name?"

"My name is Meili. I'm a Crownguard."

Jiang Chuan looked at the little girl. "Do you know Garen? Or perhaps Miss Lux?"

Meimo proudly chimed in, "Garen is my cousin—my aunt's son. My father and his father are brothers. I know Garen and Sister Lux, too. Garen even became a hero in the Dauntless Vanguard!"

Seeing the glow of pride on the little girl's face, Jiang Chuan smiled. "Then how about I take you all to Silvermine City in a few days?"

The little girl smiled happily when she heard that, but soon she covered her face and cried. Jiang Chuan was at a loss, so he picked her up and gently asked, "If something's wrong, tell the President. I'll help you."

Meili sobbed. "The pirates killed my mom and dad. Now it's just me."

Jiang Chuan comforted her. "Didn't you say Garen is a hero? You still have Garen, Sister Lux, and us. And if you ever want to visit Bilgewater, I'll come get you."

Meili sniffled. "Really?"

"Of course. But not just yet. Someday, I'll build an amusement park in Bilgewater. Then you can enjoy all kinds of fun things. You won't just get to ride big horses—you'll get to eat lots of delicious food, too."

Jiang Chuan talked with the children until sunset. He told them every children's story he knew in this life. It was far harder than scheming against enemies.

Jiang Chuan discussed things with Edmund. "Give me a list of these children. Once we reach Silvermine City, I'll get in touch with Garen or their families."

Edmund asked in surprise, "President, are you going with them?"

Looking at the bright moonlight, Jiang Chuan smiled. "That's only one reason. The main purpose of this trip is to discuss business..."

The next day, Master Noah brought his apprentice to Bloodfang Island.

Jiang Chuan took Master Noah to the smithy, and the two began assembling the steam engine. His men had forged most of the parts, but he needed to handle the crucial pieces himself.

Jiang Chuan rolled up his sleeves and hammered a block of iron. Back in college, he'd been fascinated by cold weapons and had learned about many forging methods because of it.

He picked up a glowing-hot piece of iron and hammered it again and again. After watching him strike it repeatedly, Noah asked in confusion, "Why is your method different from the usual way?"

Jiang Chuan smiled. "It's an old forging technique from my hometown called Hundred Refinements Steel. You flatten the iron, fold it over, and hammer it again. That's one refinement. Fold and hammer it twice, and that's two. You keep going like that. Steel made this way is incredibly tough, so it's perfect for making the steam engine's cylinders."

Noah watched for a while, then joined him in the busy work. The two of them hammered away from morning until afternoon, when they finally finished making all the steam engine's parts.

Jiang Chuan and Noah assembled the parts according to the blueprints, completing the prototype steam engine. Jiang Chuan also made several lengths of rail and some minecart wheels. The steam engine's first purpose was to be used in mines.

Jiang Chuan made a small modification, replacing the engine's drive wheel with a wheel that could hold a chain. The other end of the chain was attached to a simple minecart. The steam engine generated power to pull the chain, which in turn pulled the minecart and made it move. No matter how much you theorized, it was still just theory. Now it was time for a real test.

Jiang Chuan laid some track on the ground, then had people climb aboard the minecarts. Five burly men stood in each cart, and three carts were linked together, making fifteen men in all.

Everyone watched eagerly to see whether the steam engine could pull all fifteen men. Jiang Chuan added water and heated it with coal. Before long, the engine roared to life. To the others, the sound might have been noise, but to Jiang Chuan, it was music. That sound meant he had brought an Industrial Revolution to Valoran!

The steam engine began to move, and the chain pulled taut. Everyone held their breath.

Jiang Chuan watched as the chain slowly pulled one minecart, then two, then three. It was slow, but he knew the engine hadn't built up momentum yet. Once it did, the steam engine wouldn't need to provide much power.

Noah stared at the moving minecarts in astonishment. He could hardly believe his eyes! A machine could pull so much cargo just by heating a tank of water. And Jiang Chuan had said this was only one small use for it—the machine could also be used on ships to power them!

Staring blankly at the steam engine in front of him, Noah said, "If every ship in Bilgewater used a machine like this, what a magnificent sight it would be!"

Jiang Chuan was very pleased with the steam engine. With someone keeping an eye on it, one machine could double the output of a mine! It would undoubtedly be the perfect machine for Demacia.

The steam engine was also simple to operate. All it took was one person to open and close the steam valve. Since the cylinders and parts were all made of steel, the high-pressure steam inside the engine couldn't harm the machine at all!

Jiang Chuan had his men dismantle the machine and put the steam engine away in storage. Then he said, "We're having a feast tonight to celebrate inventing the steam engine. Everyone gets tomorrow off. But remember! If anyone leaks anything about the steam engine, don't expect me to go easy on you!"

A carrot and a stick—that was the usual approach of bosses and those in power.

Night fell, and everyone was eating and drinking. Jiang Chuan stepped outside to get some fresh air.

Selling the steam engine to Demacia wouldn't be easy. Although Demacia was a peaceful, orderly nation, every place had its dark side. Jiang Chuan couldn't be sure he'd be able to make the sale. He had a connection to the Crownguard Family through little Meili, but he still needed to be careful. A ship would be leaving for Demacia in two days, and Jiang Chuan planned to use the opportunity to take the children home and meet the legendary Crownguard Family!