Chapter 379 - 270: Building Cars and Toy Cars Together

Chapter 379: Chapter 270: Building Cars and Toy Cars Together

How do you forge buns of steel?

Either by sitting for long enough—on a deathly hard seat, for example.

The longest hard-seat train journey on the Feilin Continent currently takes six days. It’s the top choice for budget travelers. You spend the first hour dreaming of a wonderful trip, and the rest of the time steeped in regret.

Or you could try the patented Benz vehicle. It’s all hard contact, no suspension, and to top it off, this stretch of land doesn’t even have a road.

Pure bliss!

"So, so I added cushions to the seats. I, I used really good cotton," Benz stammered. He felt his hopes of finding an investor were about to be dashed yet again. "It helps alleviate some of the discomfort."

He was trying his best to salvage the situation.

"It might’ve been more convincing if your voice wasn’t trembling," Zog teased. "Don’t modern carriages have suspension systems?"

Zog seemed to recall that carriages had such a design, but he hadn’t ridden in them often, so he wasn’t entirely sure of the specifics.

When the conversation turned to his area of expertise, Benz stopped stuttering. "Yes, carriages use a structure of several steel plates stacked and bent together. They’re very bulky, so they can’t be used directly on this vehicle’s frame. After all, she has far more mechanical components than a carriage."

"Then design a smaller suspension system for each wheel. I’d suggest something like a rod and spring. The specifics are up to you. But don’t worry, you won’t have to do all the work yourself."

’A team?’

Benz latched onto that word.

"Have you decided to invest in my vehicle?" he asked, practically buzzing with excitement.

"Obviously. Why else would I have called you here?"

"You have no idea. So many big merchants looked at my design and treated it like a joke. They said it would be impossible to sell, and they wouldn’t even reimburse my travel expenses. I knew they just lacked vision."

"Mm, I agree," Zog said with a nod.

"You also think they lack vision?"

"I also think it won’t sell."

That one sentence extinguished most of Benz’s enthusiasm.

Zog wasn’t exaggerating. The vehicle, in its current state, was indeed a piece of junk.

In the major cities, aside from the main brick-paved thoroughfares, most roads were as pitted and bumpy as this wasteland. Riding without suspension was impossible.

"Then why do you still want to invest in her?"

"Because the general direction is right. I believe this kind of vehicle will one day completely replace carriages. It just has a few small problems right now. Benz, take some notes. I’m laying out some adjustments."

Benz immediately pulled out a pen and paper. Seeing this, Yuno handed him a sound recorder. It would be a miracle if he could write clearly with all this shaking.

"It’s all right. It’s just a few simple issues," Benz said, politely expressing his thanks.

Yuno just switched the recorder on. "Trust me, the boss’s idea of ’a few small issues’ is a little different."

Benz took the recorder, puzzled. He would soon find out just how many "small issues" there were.

"Beyond the frame, the tires need suspension too. Use the kind of rubber they use for bicycle tires."

"The rubber used for bicycles wears out easily under heavy loads," Benz replied.

The current processing technology for natural rubber wasn’t quite up to par.

Yuno chimed in from the side, "Perhaps my Slime Gel could work. I’ve been exploring different ways to use it."

"That’s perfect."

’First the Ghost Camera, now we’re making Slime Tires.’

"The throttle and brake... using hand levers is too exhausting. It’d be better to switch them to foot pedals."

"And to drive at night, it’ll need lights, both front and back."

"Also, we need a device to strap passengers to their seats, to keep them from turning into flying trapeze artists during a sudden stop or a crash."

"The transmission ratio should be adjustable, too—for starting off, going up and down hills. And while you’re at it, add a reverse function. This thing has to be more agile than a carriage."

Carriages either had to turn all the way around or be pulled and dragged backward bit by bit, which was a huge hassle.

That’s why all the carriages in the game had been optimized in this regard—they could reverse using "The Force."

"Also, when this thing turns, the inner wheel skids like crazy. Design a mechanism that lets the wheels on either side rotate at different speeds. That’ll stop the skidding on turns."

"That sounds like something you’d need Magic to solve," Yuno said.

"Trust me, you don’t. It can be done with a purely mechanical structure. If we used Magic, we might as well just copy a Magic-guided Vehicle. Then the price would never come down, and it would just be a toy for nobles."

Zog didn’t know how a differential was made, but he knew for a fact it could be achieved with a mechanical structure.

"Get your professor to help. With his skill in mechanical design, I’m sure he can make this thing."

Yuno’s mentor, Professor Moore, was the kind of beast who had hand-built a Difference Engine. His understanding of mechanical structures was absolutely top-tier.

"The starting mechanism needs to be changed, too. You can’t just spin a crank for two minutes every time you want to start it..."

Along the way, Zog rattled off a long, long list of things.

The patented Benz vehicle’s performance was considered not bad—it only started smoking twice.

As for Benz, he went from surprised, to numb, to questioning his very existence.

’He suspected Zog had a fully formed concept for an automobile in his head, one he just hadn’t gotten around to building yet.’

’Compared to the automobile Zog envisioned, his own design seemed crude, as if it were a century out of date.’

"That’s about it for now. If I think of anything else to add, I’ll let you know."

They had been discussing these "small issues" all the way from the station to the city proper, where large construction sites were now visible.

"Oh, right. Think of an official name for the vehicle. A good name can boost sales just as much as good looks."

The vehicle slowly came to a stop before an intersection.

A lamppost stood at each of the intersection’s four corners. Each was fitted with three Magic Energy Lamps, and the top one was currently glowing red.