Wonderful

"Why can't we? That's how it's always been done. Never mind a project as big as a dam-even building a house requires it, Master," Ge Ziyun said, puzzled.

"We're still just getting started. Look, we haven't even dealt with the pirates yet.

"All the more reason not to make a big show of things. A tall tree catches the wind. Wouldn't we just attract more pirates?

"So we'll work quietly and make our fortune without a fuss," Tang Wen said.

"True enough. We'll do as you say, Master-work quietly and make our fortune without a fuss," Zhan Dongwen said with a nod.

"Dongwen, we now have two excavating iron horses. Use those two as the main force and clear out the bottom of the dam first.

"Dig deep. The foundations must be firm and broad.

"We'll also need to install drainage outlets in the lower section...

"Follow the plans I drew for you to the letter.

"Oh, right. I asked you a while ago to bring in some veteran craftsmen. Did you find anyone?" Tang Wen instructed, then asked.

"Yes, but their prices are far too high. Ten taels of silver a month per man.

"We hired a dozen or so, so that's over a hundred taels every month.

"This dam will take at least half a year to build. That's several thousand taels! They're practically eating us alive," Zhan Dongwen said, looking pained.

"That's all right. They're veteran craftsmen with experience building foundations and dams.

"In certain matters, you must follow their directions.

"But you must also explain what I taught you to them. You can't do everything their way," Tang Wen said.

"Understood." Zhan Dongwen nodded.

After Zhan Dongwen left, Tang Wen kept thinking it over. He would probably have to set up a crash course in technology.

Operating excavators, stone crushers, road rollers, loaders, and so on, for instance.

They would also need mechanics to repair these machines when they broke down.

Of course, being able to fix a few simple faults would suffice. Asking them to repair electronic components was absolutely impossible. If the electronics failed, the whole machine would be scrap.

Next, Tang Wen called Zhan Zhao over and took more than twenty people to a spot with plenty of sunlight, where they began installing solar panels.

The proper name for this technology was "photovoltaic power generation." It used solar cells to convert sunlight directly into electricity through the photovoltaic effect.

Photovoltaic equipment was streamlined, reliable, stable, and long-lasting, as well as easy to install and maintain.

The last time he traveled back to Yunhai City, Tang Wen had studied for a full ten days or so before he got the hang of it.

Moreover, Tang Wen had requested that this custom batch of photovoltaic equipment be even easier to install. The manufacturer had made substantial improvements, allowing ordinary people to learn how to set it up after just a few days of study.

Half a month slipped quietly by. The photovoltaic equipment had been fully installed, and it performed well after testing and adjustment.

With that, every tent was fitted with electric lights, while high-powered searchlights and other lighting were installed outside the camp.

Naturally, the dam construction site could not go without them either. Once there was enough electricity, Tang Wen also planned to install streetlights along the lakeside road.

The instant all the bulbs lit up, everyone was dumbfounded.

"Are those night-shining pearls?"

"How much would so many night-shining pearls cost?"

"Master said they aren't night-shining pearls. They're called electric lights."

"They're so bright! You can see everything clearly even at night."

Watching these people from ancient times chatter in the square, Tang Wen was amused. Once I have some free time, I'll put up some colored lights too. Won't that scare you all to death?

Of course, photovoltaic equipment took up quite a lot of land. Tang Wen planned to bring back some wind turbines when the time was right.

However, wind turbines were too large and heavy, and Tang Wen lacked the technical expertise in that field.

He could only have them fully assembled before bringing them back through time. A large wind turbine weighed four hundred to five hundred tons.

The blades of a six-megawatt wind turbine weighed roughly seventy tons, and the generator's rotor weighed around a hundred tons.

The generator's stator weighed about a hundred and forty tons. Including the nacelle and tower, the total came to roughly four hundred and sixty tons.

Even if he brought one back fully assembled, he lacked the means to erect it on the island. Raising it would require large cranes, Hoist, and other equipment.

All this was rather complicated, and for the time being, Tang Wen was not capable of managing it.

"Master, these electric lights are so useful! From now on, I'll never be afraid of the dark again," Zhan Junru said excitedly after they returned to the prefab house, looking like a child who had yet to grow up.

"Master, were all these shipped back from the Western Lands?" Gu Hanyan asked.

"Of course. These are all Western Lands contraptions. We can't make them here," Tang Wen replied.

"People from the Western Lands really are clever. How do they think up so many useful things? Look at this bedside lamp. One press and it lights up. You can even adjust its brightness," Gu Hanyan said.

"Come, come. I'll teach you how to use the whirlpool bathtub..." Tang Wen turned on the water and let the jets run. The two women reached in to try it and found it wonderfully soothing.

"You can use it from now on, too." Tang Wen finished his explanation with a perfectly straight face and went out.

"Why don't we try it, Sister?"

"I don't think we should. This belongs to Master."

"What's the harm? We just have to clean it afterward. Besides, Master said we could use it. Let's try it just once."

Soon, sounds of playful scuffling came from inside.