Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 76 Early Investment
After that, Li Wei began living the life of a detective, just like on television.

What is the life of a detective like on TV?

Drinking (Li Wei didn't drink), reading the newspaper, horse racing.

However, Li Wei wasn't watching horse racing, but rather car racing.

Humans are naturally inclined to compete and race, and this applies to everything, including steam-powered vehicles. Moreover, since this is the first time steam-powered vehicles have appeared in the world, there is still no unified standard. As a result, the steam-powered vehicles appearing on the racetrack come in all shapes and sizes.

For Li Wei, this was a rather interesting pastime.

This doesn't mean MI7 had nothing to do during this time. On one hand, after the Imperial Bridge case, Levi and his team were given leave. On the other hand, MI7 also needed to train other teams. They couldn't rely solely on Levi to investigate all the mysterious cases in Fog City and even the Empire. Therefore, some cases that, according to Levi's classification, seemed less dangerous were assigned to other teams.

Of course, there was good news and bad news. Although the others didn't have Levi's system, the essence of physical exorcism was the same. With the support of weapons like silver bullets and incendiary bombs, the other teams also eliminated some cases involving ghosts or evil spirits. However, there were always considerable casualties, and some teams were completely wiped out.

However, this is a necessary sacrifice, and there's nothing we can do about it.

For the Imperial Bridge case, Livy also received a considerable reward: a bounty of three thousand pounds.

Hmm... much less than when he was a socialite killer, but it's not surprising. After all, the situation back then can't be compared to now. And now Li Wei is in the system, and many benefits are directly hidden in his political treatment. If Li Wei were still just an ordinary detective, then it's not impossible that the other party would give him 10,000 pounds.

This includes hush money... and that money isn't so easy to get.

Li Wei sat leisurely in the VIP stands, sipping tea and listening to the commotion and the roar of the steam engines below. He then picked up a small telescope from the tray beside him and looked towards the starting line of the racetrack. There, all sorts of strange and unusual steam engines were taking their positions.

Yes, they are really strange and unusual, there are all kinds of shapes and sizes.

For example, Li Wei saw a "race car" that was actually a fishing boat with four wheels attached to it and a sail hanging on it, looking like it would rely on both steam and wind power to accelerate.

However, the other steam engines were not much better. Most of them were about the size of freight cars, and some even had six pairs of road wheels. It was unclear what they were intended for.

Some cars are like fish bones with the meat removed, basically just a frame with almost nothing but a steam engine, even the body shell has been abandoned, focusing on lightweight design.

It's truly like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each displaying their unique abilities.

Li Wei leaned back in his chair and stretched comfortably.

Let him see what racing is like in this world.

But in fact, Li Wei didn't look at it for very long.

When he got home, it was almost afternoon.

"You're back, Master."

Eileen, who was wiping the furniture, saw Li Wei come out of the elevator and hurriedly came over to greet him.

How was the racing?

"Nothing to see."

Li Wei sighed.

"At the beginning, one of the cars just sped off, as if it couldn't turn, and crashed directly into the stands and exploded. Then there was just boring chaos and screaming. Fortunately, no one died."

While extensive development is acceptable, this was far too extensive. Not to mention, other cars subsequently collided in a chain reaction, and the thick steam practically turned the entire racetrack into a giant bathhouse.

Li Wei decided that he should go watch horse racing next time; at least it's something he enjoys, and it's not as dangerous.

"Uncle Hank just informed me that your car is almost finished. Would you like to go take a look?"

"All right?"

Li Wei patted his head, surprised that Uncle Hank was so quick to act. But thinking about it, it wasn't surprising. Steam cars in this era weren't as complicated as those in later times. They were mainly big, clunky, and rough. He only had some requirements for the appearance, and nothing else was particularly special.

This shouldn't be difficult for these steam technology experts.

"Let's go, after lunch, we'll go see it."

An hour later, after a satisfying meal, Levi took Eileen back to the steam factory on Iron Felt Road. Uncle Hank was already waiting there.

"I must say, your ideas are quite interesting."

Upon seeing Li Wei, Uncle Hank greeted him with a smile and then led him into the factory.

"We went through a lot of trouble to finally get the design you wanted, and of course, it might not be exactly what you expected..."

As they were talking, the three of them had already arrived in front of the warehouse. Then Uncle Hank pushed open the door, revealing the steam engine parked inside.

"Wow...!"

Upon seeing the steam car in front of her, Eileen couldn't help but exclaim, while Levi raised an eyebrow, revealing a surprised expression.

At the time, Li Wei drew several sports car designs for Uncle Hank to see which one the other could build. Li Wei originally thought they would choose the more convenient and simpler ones, but he didn't expect... the car in front of him was somewhat beyond his expectations.

Well… compared to modern sci-fi sports cars, this car exhibits distinctly steam-age steel characteristics. The entire body is geometrically shaped, with the two front tires almost touching, encased by the sides of the front end.

At the rear of the vehicle, it is supported by two tires that are only slightly smaller than the vehicle itself.

This is somewhat similar to Batman's Batmobile...

"How was it? Wasn't that amazing?"

Seeing Li Wei's surprised expression, Uncle Hank also walked over excitedly and patted the car.

"We went to great lengths and tried many different methods to get this car for you..."

According to Uncle Hank, they considered the vehicle's appearance, its intended use, and its capabilities, which led to this final design. They created a sufficiently strong front suspension using two large articulated arms and employed heavy, wide tires for the front wheels.

The rear wheels are constructed by connecting two large tires together, creating a 2x2 rear wheel structure. This means that even when traveling in the wilderness, a flat tire won't have much of an impact.

As for the power source, Uncle Hank used the latest type of compressed steam engine, equipped with 2x2 high-pressure gas cylinders on both sides. The latest compressed steam engine is not large in size, but it has a very practical function: it can not only drive the high-pressure gas cylinders with steam, but also, once the gas in the high-pressure gas cylinders is used up, it can reverse the process by using a gas pump to refill the high-pressure gas cylinders with the steam generated from combustion.

This means that even if Li Wei runs out of gas while driving and can't go any further, he doesn't need to worry. As long as he still has coal essence, he can find a lake or river by the roadside, fill the tank with water, generate steam, fill the gas cylinder, and set off again.

Of course, this takes a long time. If you use coal tar and water, it will take at least a day to fill a high-pressure gas cylinder.

However, if we don't use coal and instead use wood or something similar, the combustion efficiency will be even lower, and it might take two or three days to burn.

Perhaps it is jet fuel that has enabled the world to develop steam power to this extent.

Li Wei has been in this world for a while now, and if there's anything this world has that his original world didn't, it's this jet. A piece of jet the size of a fingernail mixed with water can power a three- or four-meter-tall mech at full capacity for more than two days. Li Wei thinks even gasoline would have a hard time achieving that efficiency…

What exactly is the principle behind this?
Unfortunately, Li Wei wasn't a science major, so he couldn't understand it at all.

Moreover, the world's technological development has gone quite astray.

Perhaps because this world is full of steam-powered machines, all kinds of vibrations and shaking are commonplace, so the world has a high level of technology in terms of shock resistance. For example, Li Wei's car feels smooth and stable when driving. Even when driving on bumpy roads, it can easily maintain its balance and you can hardly feel any bumps.

Moreover, the space design of this car is also quite unique.

Because the entire vehicle is V-shaped, with a smaller front and a larger rear, there is only one seat in the driver's cab and two seats in the second row. Of course, as part of the steam engine, there is also a heated platform between these two seats, which can be used to brew tea or keep food warm.

Furthermore, hot water pipes are laid on the chassis, working on the same principle as the heating systems in northern buildings. In winter, the valves can be opened to warm up the entire vehicle. Of course, the valves must be closed in summer.

In addition, Uncle Hank and his team designed a car air conditioner according to Levi's requirements. However, compared to an air conditioner, this thing was more like a hair dryer that Levi had seen when he was a child. It was a square rectangle with a water tank at the back. You would pour water in, turn on the switch, and then the air would come out mixed with water vapor...

This thing is called an air conditioner, but it's more like a water-cooled fan... Oh well, as long as it works.

With these conditions, what more could you ask for?

"Very good, very good."

After driving around for a while and returning, Li Wei was full of praise for it.

"I am very satisfied. You did a great job."

"That's good... this..."

However, Uncle Hank, who had been very generous before, became somewhat hesitant and looked at Li Wei with embarrassment.

"Mr. Li Wei, if it's possible, could you please do me a favor?"

"what's up?"

"us……………"

Uncle Hank looked at Levi, then at Eileen, and finally gritted his teeth.

"I hope you can cooperate with us!"

"cooperate?"

"Yes."

Uncle Hank nodded with a serious expression.

“Your designs are very much in line with current trends. We believe that if we manufacture according to your designs, we can completely dominate the steam car market in the Fog City—and even the Empire!”

As mentioned before, the Empire's steam vehicle manufacturing and development is currently in a rudimentary stage of diverse development. Even fishing boats with four wheels can be put on racetracks, so what else can you expect?
This is understandable, given that this is the first time steam-powered vehicles have appeared in the world, and everyone is still figuring things out. For example, what does a steam-powered vehicle need? What doesn't it need? What functions are essential? What functions can be removed? What functions are feasible? What functions are impossible?
Nobody knew, which is why so many strange and wonderful steam vehicles appeared on the market. Every steam technology manufacturer hoped that the public would accept the standards they set, but this was obviously not an easy task.

Li Wei certainly doesn't understand car design; his understanding of cars is limited to driving Need for Speed ​​in video games. But at least he knows what a car needs.

Windshield wipers, seat belts, air conditioning... these weren't present from the very beginning of the car's existence; they appeared gradually. As for Li Wei, he could be considered to have experienced the "complete" state of a modern car. Even if he couldn't explain the car's parts clearly, he could at least understand their functions to a certain extent; he knew the commonly used ones.

As Hank worked on building the car Levi requested, he became increasingly excited, keenly sensing that this was a golden opportunity!

If we can collaborate with Li Wei, then our steam car will definitely be recognized by the market!
But before that...

"You want me to invest, don't you?"

Li Wei certainly understood Hank's meaning. He didn't understand steam technology, but he also understood the market Hank described—if successful, wealth would come rolling in. Patent technology existed in this world, but Li Wei's previous work wasn't worthy of patent approval. After all, he had only drawn up a shell and described a function; actually achieving those functions relied on the ingenuity of Uncle Hank and his team.

So the reason why they don't work alone but instead seek cooperation is quite obvious.

I don't have money.

"Yes, one thousand pounds! That's the minimum initial investment. We can give you 45% of the shares and dividends!"

"Um……………"

Faced with Hank's suggestion, Levi fell into thought. A thousand pounds was not too much for him at the moment, and the Empire was currently at the forefront of the steam revolution, so it was indeed easy to achieve results. In addition, if Hank grew bigger and stronger, it would also benefit him—a professional mechanical team to support him was still very necessary. After all, MI7 would not give him whatever he wanted.

"Sure, bring me the contract, I'll have someone review it."

Li Wei nodded decisively, and Uncle Hank, upon hearing Li Wei's answer, clenched his fist excitedly and let out a low growl.

Then, as if he had just thought of something, he hurriedly looked at Li Wei.

"By the way, Mr. Li Wei, would you like to give this car a name?"

"A name..."

Hearing Uncle Hank's question, Levi frowned.

This is indeed a difficult problem.

Hmm... is it called Knight Rider? Or Mark V?

(End of this chapter)