"Mr. Ruan hopes that the sales of printing machines can drive the demand for iron ore, so as to activate the mineral resources in your hands and obtain the greatest benefits. Unfortunately, the printing machines are not a good target for mass production. If you want to make full use of the value of a mineral deposit, you have to find products that meet the consumer demand. "
Ruan Wenyue, who had always maintained a gentlemanly attitude, was convinced to the point that he showed a somewhat dejected look, and even intended to give up. However, a certain person's words, which sounded like a conclusion, made him smell something different. He asked: "Since Your Excellency can make such a distinction, does it mean that you have other suitable technologies in your hands?"
Showing an unfathomable smile, Lin Cai said: "Let's put it this way. In fact, my idea is very simple. Since the printing of magic scrolls is now in a predicament, then we have to find a solution. The known problem is the shortage of raw materials. But strictly speaking, it's not a shortage, but rather the raw material reserves and production speed in a region can't keep up with the speed of consumption. The reason why the required materials are not dispatched from further places is that the cost of transportation cannot be added to the price of the finished scroll without limit. After all, no one would do something that would lose money. In this case, what kind of solution would Mr. Ruan choose? "
Suddenly being tested, not only was Ruan Wenyue thinking, but even the Warlock Saint was also thinking. But in the end, it was the old gentleman of the Chamber of Commerce who was asked, so he answered tentatively: "Looking for alternative magic materials?"
"Yes, this is the method that most people would think of. But in fact, the materials that can be used to print magic scrolls are the result of careful selection. It's not that easy to find alternatives. After all, what we have to do now is to 'print' magic scrolls, not copy them using the previous method. … "
Although it was just a statement of facts, but in the ears of others, it sounded like scolding ignorance. So Lin hurriedly explained:
"… Of course, this is not to criticize Mr. Ruan, but it's easy for people who haven't personally come into contact with printing to overlook such blind spots. If you pay attention to the consumption of materials in the Holy City for the production of magic scrolls, you should be able to find that the materials that are not enough are not the ones that are consumed the most in the traditional production of magic scrolls. "
Ignoring the rather rude words just now, Ruan Wenyue carefully recalled the information he had about the consumption of various materials in the Holy City. A Chamber of Commerce at their level would have their own channels to obtain such information, even if they didn't rely on the forum.
This information might not be complete and detailed, but judging from the general situation, it was indeed as the magician had said. There was no shortage of magical beast hides and blood ink, which were mainly used to make magic scrolls. However, the people in the printing industry were crying about the lack of materials.
Ruan Wenyue asked, "Since the problem with the raw materials is difficult to solve, what method do you choose to use to solve this problem?"
"Transportation. Since the cost of transporting the materials further away is too high and the time required is too long, then think of a way to reduce the cost and shorten the transportation time. "Lin said confidently.
Ruan Wenyue reacted quickly. Recalling the rumors about this Magician, he immediately asked, "Are you willing to cooperate with me to build an airship?"
Lin shook his head with a smile. "It's not an airship. There aren't many parts that can be changed to ordinary metals, and the cost of the floating device alone can't be low. This doesn't meet Mr. Ruan's original needs, which is to rely on the minerals in your hands. What I want is to improve the transportation method on land. "
Ruan Wenyue's originally bright eyes dimmed. When he thought of the transportation method that met this requirement, he immediately lost interest. "Are you thinking of building a mechanical train?"
"Oh, Mr. Ruan knows about mechanical trains. I'm sure you know the pros and cons of this transportation method. " Although it was different from what he was used to, Lin knew what he was talking about. Thus, he followed the terminology used by the other party.
Ruan Wenyue nodded and said roughly, "Although a lot of goods can be transported at once, the route is fixed, the cost of construction is huge, and the construction time is long. The disadvantages are as obvious as the advantages. Most importantly, not all lords are willing to let a track pass through their territory. Thus, in the work of maintaining the track, other than guarding against magical beasts and bandits, it is also guarding against the lords of various lands. It can be said that a mechanical track is laid out, and there are enemies everywhere. "
"Mr. Ruan knows quite a lot about mechanical trains." Lin flattered.
"In the mechanical city of the old Dwarf Empire, there are still mechanical train routes left in the city. Those are much more reliable than the ones left behind by the Goblin Empire. As long as people go to the mechanical city to do business, they will try their best to use the train to move. However, if those tracks want to be laid out outside the city, not only will they encounter great resistance, in fact, a lot of the internal key technology has been lost. "
At this point, Ruan Wenyue suddenly thought of a piece of information. This mage had four silver-bearded dwarves around him. And the old Dwarf Empire was built with the silver-bearded dwarves as the core. However, mechanical trains were really not a good investment.
Of course, Ruan Wenyue admitted that if this project was successful, other than the backlog of costs that could not be recovered quickly, there were also benefits and no disadvantages. However, this was not something that his small body could support. Even if he dragged the whole family down, it would be a little difficult.
Not to mention the rulers of other areas, how could they consider the suggestion of someone with the lowest status like him? In the family, his voice was still too small.
Of course, a certain someone did not know the little drama in Ruan Wenyue's mind. Instead, he said, "You don't mind if I use a magic to show a picture, right?"
Without waiting for consent, Lin used the Whiteboard Technique to outline a conceptual picture of a train and said, "Although I haven't seen the mechanical train in the mechanical city of the dwarves with my own eyes, it is nothing more than a moving front that pulls the carriages behind it that may be carrying people or goods. And the reason why tracks must be laid is nothing more than the weight of the front of the train, causing the wheels and the road to be unable to bear its weight. Therefore, an exclusive road must be built to accommodate the movement of the train. Is this right? "
Although the picture displayed was not the mechanical train that Ruan Wenyue had seen, the sections of the train body and the tracks were indeed its characteristics. In addition, he had explored the principles of the mechanical train, so he nodded in agreement with this mage's words.
"Then the first thing we have to do is to remove the tracks that limit the freedom of the train." With that said, the tracks drawn by the Whiteboard Technique moved outward with a flick of Lin's finger and then dissipated.
"And because the train body is too heavy, we have to miniaturize and lighten it." With that said, he clasped his hands together, and the carriages behind the train disappeared one by one. Even the front of the train shrunk by a large margin.
"In order to support its weight and maintain its grip on the ground, we have to modify the shape of the wheels instead of using the carriage's wheels directly." As he spoke, he flicked his finger and the original shape of the wheel was replaced with a thicker tire.
One of the major discoveries after coming to the Holy City was rubber. However, rubber had very few uses. It was only used to make tarpaulins, raincoats, or high-grade outdoor tents. It was not used on a large scale.
Of course, Lin did not hesitate to purchase large quantities of rubber to improve the seal of the engine and make tires. However, the steel rims and tubeless tires had not been successfully developed yet. At this stage, the combination of the inflatable inner tube and the outer tube was used to make tires. However, the shape of the wheel frame steel rims was already close to the modern cars that Lin knew.
As for the changes that would be brought about by miniaturizing the mechanical train, the people who were watching Lin's performance could not understand for a while. They even gave up the advantage of transportation, which made Ruan Wenyue frown slightly. Therefore, Lin did not stop his explanation but continued.
"Liberating the freedom of the car to choose its route doesn't mean that it can go anywhere. But basically, as long as it is a place that a carriage can pass through, the miniaturized car can also pass through, without the need for special tracks. Without the need for tracks, it also means that the car can change its shape and structure according to needs. "
With that said, Lin changed the car shown by the Whiteboard Technique into the shape of an antique convertible car from the early twentieth century on Earth. "If we want to carry people, and if the number of people is not large, we only need to add a few more seats at the back of the car. If we want to carry a lot of people, … "
With a flick of his finger, the lines of the antique car changed into the appearance of a big bus. "… we can increase the size of the car and the number of seats. If we don't carry people, but only goods, … "
With another flick of his finger, the big bus changed back to its original front and added a bucket at the back. "We can add a carriage-like compartment at the back of the car. If we need to carry more goods, of course, the bucket at the back will be lengthened."
With a clap of his hand, he displayed the several types of cars he showed. Lin said: "The advantage of miniaturization and diversification is that the people who need it can choose the type of car to buy according to their needs. Vehicles that carry a lot of people or goods need more space and more horsepower, so the price of such vehicles is of course more expensive. But if the demand is not so great, you can choose a smaller vehicle. "
Seeing that the people in front of him still looked confused, Lin had to continue to explain: "In the past, we invested a lot of money to build mechanical trains and sold transportation services. But after we miniaturize and diversify the car, the production cost will of course be greatly reduced, and we can change to selling cars. Customers can choose a certain type of car according to their needs. Maybe there is the same research and development cost, but the most basic requirement is to sell one car and make a profit. "
Everyone was still at a loss, their eyes lifeless. Lin wondered if he was speaking inarticulately, or if the people of the mysterious land really disdained mechanical products. He had to work harder and say: "Maybe you will think of the same function. I can just use a carriage, why change to this kind of car? But you can use a lower cost than a normal horse to travel a longer distance in a shorter period of time. Mr. Ruan, your Chamber of Commerce's main commodity is food. Can you imagine that in the process of transportation, you only need less than half of the manpower and can transport the food further away in the same amount of time? What does this mean? "
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