In the beginning, he was ranked alongside An Shigeng as a spoiled brat.

Three more months passed, and just as the welcoming pavilion was nearing completion, the Mo family arrived in the capital with a detachable mechanical device.

This is a large and complex machine that integrates mixing, laying, and compaction.

Undoubtedly, such machinery was specifically designed for road construction.

The mixer, needless to say, is used to mix cement, fine sand, gravel, etc. When these are mixed in a certain proportion, a cement road, which is common in later generations, can be built.

As for cement?

The land of Kyushu is entirely composed of limestone, and the ancient lime-burning techniques were already quite advanced.

For example, the concrete used by the Zhang family was made by the Zhang family themselves.

With just one simple processing step, lime can be turned into cement; it's not a difficult task.

The biggest problem is nothing more than iron ore and coal mines.

The Zhang family happens to own shares in three mines, and with the support of the empire, they can minimize costs.

Needless to say, there's plenty of gravel and fine sand; you can easily scoop up a handful of loose stones on the mountain, and the river is full of fine sand. Plus, even a regular cement road doesn't need reinforced concrete. 19

Therefore, with current technology, the conditions for constructing cement roadbeds are basically not lacking.

However, the fundamental problem with building cement roads is that the investment required is too large!

Not to mention the newly built cement kilns in various places, gravel and fine sand are also extremely large resources, plus the roadbed must be compacted before paving.

Therefore, the investment involved is even greater than that for a simple rammed earth roadbed!

However, for the Zhang family, who had raised 30 million gold coins, this was not a problem at all.

After all, Zhang Xiaoshan never intended to enrich himself.

It should be noted that he had plundered the dragon veins (imperial tombs) and royal palaces of various ethnic groups several times, accumulating immense wealth. In addition, with the Zhang family's several inexhaustible gold mines, they had no shortage of such gold and silver.

On the contrary, this cement road, without being driven by heavy vehicles, can be repaired and used for a hundred years.

It is a meritorious act that benefits the country and its people.

After all, once the imperial highway was built, it would connect trade routes in the north, south, east, and west, and the speed of horse-drawn carriages would no longer be only one or two hundred li a day, but could be comparable to the speed of express delivery. This would undoubtedly be an unprecedented boost to the development of commerce!

Moreover, without the bumps, travel becomes much more convenient!

This will strengthen communication between the north and south and facilitate the flow of people.

As for the road-laying equipment, once a thousand units are mass-produced in the first year, they will be distributed throughout Kyushu.

If each platform is built at a rate of 20 zhang per day, then 1,000 platforms would be 20,000 zhang. Since one li is 150 zhang, one day would be 130 to 140 li.

The entire 100,000-mile-long highway can be planned and constructed in just three years.

Therefore, Zhang Xiaoshan was extremely satisfied with the equipment in front of him!

The Zhang family could have designed it themselves, but the cost of materials would have been extremely high.

Mohist mechanisms, wooden and stone walkways;

The bronze vessel opens its mouth; one must ask Gongshu.

The enormous machine in front of us is mostly made of solid wood.

Only a small portion of the machine parts and axles are made of high-quality steel.

Unlike the high price of solid wood in later generations, in the ancient and towering land of Kyushu, even bronze and pig iron were ten times the price of ordinary solid wood.

Therefore, the Mohist mechanical arts are most suitable for the development of civilian machinery.

The steel used by the Zhang family and the bronze mechanisms used by the Gongshu family cost at least several times more than the mechanisms used by the Mo family.

Moreover, these are things that the Mohists excel at.

"The Mohist mechanisms have indeed not disappointed me!"

Zhang Xiaoshan checked the quality and concluded that there wouldn't be any problems for at least several years.

Therefore, even after this use, it can still continue to generate value, which is definitely a way to make money.

Then Zhang Xiaoshan looked at the leader of the Mohist school to the side and said:

"Thank you for the help from the Mo family this time. The initial 30,000 gold is considered a deposit. Afterwards, I will instruct Ghost Street to prepare the 100,000 gold worth of supplies needed by the Mo family!"

"Thank you very much, Young Master Zhang!"

Upon hearing this, the leader of the Mohist school was overjoyed.

As expected, the Zhang family's generosity was well-deserved. However, looking at the section of 'cement road' before them, they expressed surprise and doubt:

"Does the young master intend to use these materials to build the imperial road?"

Building roads with rammed earth was already a luxury.

But Zhang Xiaoshan went even further, using even more expensive and rare cement for the pouring, increasing the cost exponentially.

In particular, the sheer volume of resources required must be staggering.

"That's right, Zhang is planning to build a road entirely made of cement."

Although its lifespan is not as long as that of rammed earth, it is still within a hundred years. Moreover, there is no need to worry about bumps when driving on it, which can ensure the integrity of most of the goods.

Over time, the road surface of a roadbed made of rammed earth will eventually become potholed and uneven.

Upon hearing of Zhang Xiaoshan's grand gesture, even the leader of the Mohist school couldn't help but gasp.

But considering the funds Zhang Xiaoshan controls, coupled with the empire's support, perhaps only Zhang Xiaoshan has such confidence.

"Young Master Zhang is so generous!"

In the eyes of the leader of the Mohist school, this was simply the behavior of a spendthrift.

However, Zhang Xiaoshan did not provide an explanation.

The cost of rammed earth is low, but compared to cement roads which are directly poured and require constant compaction, a project spanning 100,000 kilometers would take ten years.

It seems that the empire is in chaos again just as the highway has been completed.

In the end, everything the Zhang family did will be for the benefit of others.

On the contrary, the road was completed within three years, and for ten years, fees were collected by roadblocks. This was precisely the peak period when the 497 cement road was at its smoothest.

During this period, relying on the toll fees brought by the north-south trade routes, the Zhang family made a fortune, even if they shared the profits with the imperial court.

Moreover, with the Empire offering a completely free ride, Zhang Xiaoshan can guarantee that he will recoup his costs within ten years.

···

"Master, is the Zhang family really planning to do this?"

On the way to Ghost Street, Big Hammer looked at the leader of the Mo family in disbelief.

They had previously wondered what Zhang Xiaoshan wanted this useless thing for.

But after seeing Zhang Xiaoshan's personal demonstration, they realized that this huge thing was actually used for road construction, and at such an expensive cost.

"There's nothing the Zhang family can't accomplish if they set their minds to it."

Moreover, the Zhang family raised 30 million gold coins this time, and so many people trust them. Do you really think the Zhang family is that simple?

"They're just a bunch of idiots. If they knew this money was going down the drain, they'd probably regret it before they even had a chance."

"···"

puff!

Many people looked at the big iron hammer and realized that it was indeed all brawn and no brains.

"Alright, Big Iron Hammer, what the Master means is that the Zhang family is not simple this time."

What may seem like unconventional behavior actually involves the Zhang family. When have they ever made a losing deal? There may be some connections we don't know about.

"At least when it comes to doing business, have you ever seen the Zhang family suffer a loss?"

Chapter 612 The Strength of Ghost Street and the Ambition of the Mohist Master

Five thousand gold worth of refined steel resources;

Diamond wire, bearings, lubricating oil, and rubber, each worth 10,000 gold coins;

Ten thousand gold coins worth of daily necessities, such as soap, refined salt, and white sugar...

Looking at the detailed procurement list before her, the Queen Mother of the West frowned, then shook her head and said:

“Fifty thousand gold pieces of fine steel is not a problem, but diamond wire, bearings, and rubber are not traded on Ghost Street, but by the Zhang family. Therefore, these four items cannot be purchased through Ghost Street.”

Ghost Street is Ghost Street, controlled by the three upper families and the Nine Gates Admirals!

However, the Zhang family's business is actually their own. Soap, glass, snow salt... These Zhang family businesses seem to be directly transported into Ghost Street, but in reality, the procedures are that the Zhang family puts them into the market and then flows into Ghost Street, rather than directly supplying them to Ghost Street.

In particular, bearings and diamond wire are strategic materials of the Zhang family, intended for internal use only by the empire and the Zhang family.

Most of the bearings currently on the Ghost Street market originate from within the Empire.

Or, after the fall of the Song, Tang, or Ming dynasties, they were scattered among the common people.

Therefore, it was simply impossible for the leader of the Mohist school to purchase these supplies inside Ghost Street.

"Isn't it said that in Ghost Street, as long as you have money, you can have anything? Can't you even produce this little bit?"

As soon as the giant iron hammer spoke, the leader of the Mohist school also looked at the 'Queen Mother of the West' with a glint in his eyes.

“These things do exist on Ghost Street, but they didn’t come from the Zhang family. The Mo family should know where they came from.”

Therefore, due to the scarcity and practicality of bearings in Ghost Street, their price starts at ten gold coins, more than ten times the cost the Empire paid to purchase them from the Zhang family. Is the Mohist school really planning to buy them from Ghost Street?

ten times?

Moreover, this is why very few of them come from Ghost Street.

If they really make a large-scale acquisition, the price of bearings will double or even more in a short period of time, and it will also alert the police.

The Net has now locked onto them.

If they continue to acquire bearings on a large scale, they will have no way to escape.

"Ghost Street doesn't belong to the Zhang family, so why distinguish between Ghost Street and the Zhang family?"

Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother of the West shook her head, offering no reply.

But the leader of the Mohist school could sense the contempt of the Queen Mother of the West.

Clearly, it's aimed at their ignorance, or this childish trick.

They offered their services, but the other party simply wouldn't take them.

Therefore, even the leader of the Mohist school couldn't help but sigh.

Knowing that it was impossible to purchase these rare supplies from Ghost Street, even the Gongshu family, with the support of the empire, could not manufacture qualified bearings, let alone the Mo family.

Diamond wire is even rarer.

It was Zhang Xiaoshan who used the power of the Dragon Ball to glue diamond fragments onto the silkworm silk.

The toughness of silkworm silk and the sharpness of diamond combine to create the domineering power of diamond wire, which can even cut through fine steel, achieving an effect of 'unparalleled sharpness'.

"How much refined steel can Ghost Street provide?"

"We can have as many Mohists as we want!"

Hiss...

The leader of the Mohist school and others were all deeply shaken.

The maximum price for fine steel is 100,000 gold, and that's the internal price on Ghost Street. At least one gold is worth hundreds of catties, which is nearly 100,000 shi of fine steel!

However, they knew that the truly terrifying place was Ghost Street.

The fact that even refined steel can be sold on such a large scale clearly indicates that the Ghost Street organization is far more terrifying than they imagined in terms of smuggled salt and iron.

"The Giant..."

Although the Mohists could also forge fine steel, they could only be self-sufficient at best.

In terms of demand, they even plan to purchase a large quantity from Ghost Street this time, the more the better.

Mohist mechanisms, allowing movement through wood and stone!

It's not just that the Mohists were good at these things, but that their resources were mainly limited to timber.