Chapter 71

As night fell, a light rain fell over Shanghai, signaling the approach of the plum rain season in April. The air became humid, and the damp sea breeze gently blew, immersing Shanghai in a sea of neon lights and greenery.

Lying in bed, his consciousness had already entered the all-in-one machine. To be honest, today's harvest was greater than what he had gained in the past month in Shanghai.

Military ships were the pinnacle of technology in this world. Even second-rate, third-rate, or fourth-rate warships contained technology far more advanced than civilian technology.

In one day, Yang Yuanzhao replicated 12 different steam engines, ranging from the 1895 model to the 1905 model. The 1905 model, in particular, was used on a torpedo boat that had been introduced just last year. This torpedo boat used a 1905 British steam engine, which, though not a steam turbine, represented the pinnacle of technology of that era, at least in Britain.

Due to the development of more powerful steam engines, Britain had shifted to steam turbines, which were already highly advanced. The new dreadnoughts were powered by the strong engines of steam turbines. However, Germany had pushed steam engines to a four-cylinder level, but the gap with steam turbines was growing. By next year, when the Kaiser-class ships began construction, Germany would also adopt steam turbines. This change marked the obsolescence of ordinary steam engines, and thus, Britain and Germany almost simultaneously relaxed restrictions on steam engines. It was under these circumstances that a triple-expansion steam engine torpedo boat entered China.

This was something Yang Yuanzhao had not anticipated. In his view, the naval fleet, apart from the Hai Qi, and a few other Hai-series warships, were all built in the Armstrong shipyard in Britain. Even with some modifications, they were largely similar, having appeared over a decade ago. He did not expect to find such advanced technology on a small boat.

Steam engines, even triple or quadruple expansion steam engines, were not considered high-tech by 21st-century standards. However, steam engines were extremely precise machinery. Any slight deviation could cause significant problems. Even though Yang Yuanzhao understood the principles, without hands-on experience, it would be difficult to complete them. His previous attempt with a tractor had failed due to a lack of experimentation.

The same applied to steam engines, especially high-end triple or quadruple expansion steam engines. Yang Yuanzhao estimated that it would take at least six months to a year of dedicated research to produce a complete, albeit basic, steam engine.

However, things were different now. He had directly obtained a two-shaft steam engine from 12 years ago, along with a variety of other two-shaft engines. This completed the entire system. Most importantly, he had a triple-expansion steam engine, which provided both high and low-end models. With his research capabilities, he could easily develop a quadruple-expansion steam engine. Although quadruple-expansion steam engines were already outdated in this era, new battleships no longer used them, opting instead for steam turbines.

In this world, the pulse of industrial development continued to beat. From Watt's invention of the steam engine, the first and second industrial revolutions were all closely tied to power. These steam engines would have a decisive impact on Yang Yuanzhao's next steps.

Apart from the triple-expansion engine, Yang Yuanzhao's other gains were also significant. He had 20 warships, all military vessels. The most basic equipment on these warships was weapons, ranging from 30mm machine guns to 203mm heavy guns, almost everything was available. The machine guns, in particular, gave Yang Yuanzhao some unique options.

China's military had always been weak in firepower. Many units had no artillery at all. On one hand, Chinese weapons were outdated, and everything had to be imported. Foreign countries sold what they wanted, and China had to use it, even down to ammunition. On the other hand, China's poor transportation infrastructure, with almost no modern roads or railways, made it difficult to move heavy artillery. A 75mm gun was already considered a heavy gun and could not be moved in many areas.

In Yang Yuanzhao's view, mortars would be the best choice. Mortars had not yet been invented in this era, but seamless steel pipes were available. However, as Yang Yuanzhao was not a military expert, developing mortars would be challenging. He had planned to wait until World War I or the invention of mortars to replicate the designs. However, seeing the 30mm and 47mm machine guns gave him new ideas.

30mm and 47mm machine guns, as small-caliber weapons on warships, were generally used for self-defense or close-range fire, mainly to defend against torpedoes. However, in the army, they could serve as suppressive firepower. If the power of the 30mm and 47mm machine guns were increased, and the explosive force of the shells enhanced, they could serve as ordinary support firepower for the army.

However, naval machine guns were different from ordinary army artillery. Naval 30mm and 47mm machine guns were usually twin-mounted. On ships, weight was not a concern, and to ensure stability, they were often heavier. According to the blueprints Yang Yuanzhao replicated, a twin 30mm machine gun weighed around 700 kilograms. He planned to modify it, removing unnecessary parts to reduce the weight. By converting it to a single mount, it would be suitable for army use.

This modification was minor, taking less than an hour. The full steel frame of the naval machine gun was changed to a simple, disassemblable triangular frame. The barrel could not be disassembled, but the gun mechanism and other non-essential parts could. This way, the 30mm machine gun could be divided into seven parts, with the heaviest part weighing no more than 90 kilograms. Although still heavy, compared to the 1300-kilogram 75mm gun, it was much lighter. A strong soldier could carry it for short distances, and the total weight would not exceed 250 kilograms, making it extremely light.

The 47mm gun was also initially modified, weighing no more than 400 kilograms. Unfortunately, the 47mm gun was slightly larger, and Yang Yuanzhao's division was not thorough. It could only be divided into three parts, with the heaviest part weighing over 200 kilograms. He abandoned the idea of further division. With a team of horses, moving the 400-kilogram gun was not difficult, especially after modifying the wheels. A single horse could easily pull it, making it much more manageable compared to the heavy 75mm gun.

After setting the continuous production of 100 30mm and 47mm guns, Yang Yuanzhao began to consider his departure.

His month-long stay in Shanghai had been a resounding success. If there was any oversight, it was the lack of chemical machinery, which was understandable. In this era, chemical technology was still at the cutting edge, and for China, there was no market. China's chemical industry would not see significant progress until the invention of the Hou's soda process, which broke the zero barrier in Chinese chemical production.

Chemical industry, especially heavy chemical industry, was the foundation of industry. The colorful products of the future were largely derived from chemical and heavy chemical industries. Each of the three acids and two alkalis played a crucial role.

However, apart from the oversight in the chemical industry, the other basic industries were well-equipped. From Yang Yuanzhao's 21st-century perspective, especially with the advanced steam engines obtained from the Shanghai naval fleet, by replacing some materials and miniaturizing them, they could provide powerful and stable power for factories, greatly increasing efficiency.

Spending the night considering various oversights, Yang Yuanzhao was busy until dawn, finally falling into a deep sleep as the first light of day broke. Another day in Shanghai had arrived, and his departure was drawing near.