The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

Liu Xiaoke didn't sleep well all night, not knowing whether it was because of excitement or worry.

The next morning, he took the wooden ID card and followed the instructions to Qingfeng Ferry in the north of the city.

The river breeze blew gently, bringing the sound of waves humming softly. The ferry was bustling with people, hundreds of people were shuttling back and forth non-stop. The calls of those transporting wood, the clinking of hammers and banging, and the shouts of supervisors came one after another, making his head buzz.

"Is a war about to start?" Liu Xiaoke muttered to himself. It was the first time he had seen such a large-scale scene, and for a moment he was dazzled.

A young man in shorts with a hammer on his waist passed by him carrying two bundles of thick hemp ropes and almost knocked him off balance.

"Hey, kid, are you looking at the back of your head? Everyone is busy here, with all the big and small instruments, tools, materials and objects. Be careful." The young man reminded Liu Xiaoke, who had just arrived, in an impatient tone.

"Yes, I'm sorry, I, I'm new here..." Liu Xiaoke was stuttered by his momentum and apologized repeatedly.

"Newcomer, get to work quickly. Don't just stand here. Work harder and earn more!" The young man waved his hand impatiently, turned around and threw himself into his busy work again.

Only then did Liu Xiaoke notice the hundreds of boats, large and small, moored at the ferry. In the early morning glow, the river presented a vibrant and bustling scene. Vessels of all sizes, from delicate dinghies to massive warships, densely packed the river, like stars embedded in a flowing silver ribbon. Atop the largest of these ships hung a flag embroidered with "Zhaoyin Academy," fluttering in the river breeze.

Liu Xiaoke was walking quickly all the way. Just as he reached the edge of a tent, he heard a fierce quarrel coming from the cabin.

"I say your plan doesn't work! Look here, here, and here, they are all too fragile and can't bear such a heavy weight!" A sharp voice shouted.

"Nonsense! My design has been carefully calculated, how could there be a problem? Your plan is flashy and impractical!" Another voice retorted without giving in.

Curiously, Liu Xiaoke peered into the tent and saw a large table covered with various blueprints and tools. Two students, wearing the distinctive Zhaoyin Academy uniform, were arguing over a blueprint on the table, their faces flushed and their mouths spitting.

One of them was thin, wearing a black hat and had messy hair, while the other was a petite and lovely girl.

"I say that your design drawing is completely empty talk! Don't you see how turbulent the water flow is and how strong the wind is in Qingfengdu? Even if you build it, it will be a shoddy project. It will be washed away before it is completed!" The thin man pointed at the drawing and spitted in the face of the strong man.

"What do you know, kid? I've been in the water since I was a child. My father also did this when he was young. What do you know?" The little girl was not willing to be outdone. She pushed the thin man away and pointed at her nose and shouted, "I'm telling you, I'm the one who built warships with my father. Don't tell me what to do here!"

"You..." The thin man was frightened by his aura, but he still said with his neck stiffened in defiance, "So what if you've built a warship? This pontoon bridge isn't a warship. There are more factors to consider, and it's more complicated. You..."

Liu Xiaoke's gaze darted back and forth between the two of them, finally settling on the petite girl. Her round face was slightly flushed from the quarrel, her eyebrows tightly furrowed, and her large, watery eyes widened. But this didn't diminish her cuteness at all; instead, it made her even more adorable.

"Ayao?" Liu Xiaoke called out tentatively, with a hint of uncertainty in his tone.

Hearing the name, the little girl was stunned at first, then her eyes widened in disbelief, looking up and down at the young man in front of her, as if she wanted to see through him.

"You, you are...Liu Xiaoke?!" A Yao exclaimed, her tone full of surprise and disbelief.

I've been recognized! Liu Xiaoke scratched his head embarrassedly, with a simple smile on his face: "It's me, I didn't expect you still remember me."

"Of course I remember! We learned the craft together from Master Wang when we were little!" A Yao walked quickly to Liu Xiaoke and said excitedly, "Why are you here? Where have you been all these years?"

Master Wang, childless, fled the war and took them here. Seeing their intelligence and talent, he accepted them as his apprentices, and they became as close as siblings. Later, Master Wang left, and A-Yao was forcibly taken back home by his parents, losing contact with him. Unexpectedly, they would meet again at Qingfeng Ferry many years later.

At that moment, Liu Xiaoke's attention was drawn to a stack of blueprints on the table. He leaned forward to examine them carefully. On the blueprint, a vast floating bridge was vividly depicted, constructed from countless thick wooden beams. The design was ingenious and magnificent. However… Liu Xiaoke frowned, his mind replaying the various bridge designs he had seen from Master Wang. He felt a vague sense of problem with the blueprint.

"The mortise and tenon joint structure of this load-bearing beam is too simple. I'm afraid it can't bear the weight of the entire bridge." Liu Xiaoke pointed to a detail on the blueprint and couldn't help but speak. "Also, this doesn't take into account the impact of the Qingfengdu current. Once the flood season arrives, the bridge piers will easily collapse. Especially now in July and August, there are too many unknown factors."

At this moment, everyone in the tent looked at this stranger who suddenly appeared in surprise. The thin young man looked Liu Xiaoke up and down and said in a bad tone, "Who are you? Where did you come from, you wild boy, and how dare you come here to give orders?"

Liu Xiaoke wasn't angry. He patiently explained, "Young man, I didn't mean to interrupt. I just noticed some details on the blueprint that seemed a little off, so I dared to offer my opinion. Qingfengdu has fast currents and strong winds, so building a floating bridge is no easy task. If we overlook these details, we're afraid it will lead to irreparable consequences."

Liu Xiaoke was no boaster. He had learned various crafts from Master Wang since childhood and was well versed in bridge construction. Taking into account the geographical and climatic conditions of Qingfengdu, he pointed out the problems with the blueprints and offered some suggestions for improvement.

"You see, we can use a more stable triangular structure here to increase the stability of the bridge. Also, we can use the impact of the water flow to design an ingenious drainage device..." Liu Xiaoke said as he picked up the charcoal pencil on the table and drew on the drawing. After a while, the original design drawing was modified by him to look brand new.

His insights were novel and unique, and his logic was clear, which impressed everyone present, especially the petite and lovely A Yao, who looked at him with admiration.

"You're quite capable, boy!" The skinny young man, who had previously looked disdainful, now had to admire Liu Xiaoke's talent. "I didn't expect that at such a young age, you have such insights into bridge construction. By the way, my dear, please forgive me for my rudeness just now. I've been so busy lately that I haven't been thinking clearly."

"Oh, by the way, I forgot to introduce myself. My last name is Hu, so just call me Hu Zhe."

"Thank you for the compliment, Brother Hu. I was just expressing some of my thoughts." Liu Xiaoke smiled modestly, his eyes accidentally meeting A Yao's. When their eyes met, time seemed to stand still.

"What you said does make some sense..." After a moment of silence, Hu Zhe finally spoke, his tone less arrogant and more serious, "But we are pressed for time now and have no time to redesign the plan."

"Besides, in a few days, Xixiang's envoys will arrive in the capital. These three floating bridges are key to the East China Sea sacrificial ceremony, so we can't delay them! The Queen Mother has issued an imperial decree."

Hearing this, Liu Xiaoke's heart moved and a bold idea came to his mind.