Industry began in 1937

As he carried his load into the village in the twilight, he was immediately surrounded by the waiting villagers.

Third Master, Old Man Han, Zhao Dachui, and others rushed forward to greet them.

"Young Chen, is it done?" Old Han asked.

Chen Yuan put down his load, untied a bundle, picked up a spearhead and handed it over: "It's done, Uncle Han, take a look. As you said, I didn't hit it too hard, but I guarantee it's sharp and sturdy."

Old Han took it, examined it carefully, weighed it in his hand, and tested the tip with his finger. A smile appeared on his face: "Good! This weight is just right! Young people won't get tired holding it, and it will be powerful enough to thrust it out! The tip, the workmanship, it's impeccable!" He turned to Third Master and said, "Third Master, Chen's craftsmanship is truly exceptional!" He gave a thumbs up.

Zhao Dachui also picked one up, thrusting it a few times in the air, creating a whooshing sound, and exclaimed happily, "So easy! It's a world of difference from the spearhead my old woodcutter made from! With this, I feel much more at ease!"

The surrounding young men passed it around to look at it, and each one of them loved it.

Mr. Wen Shizhou also picked one up and carefully examined the neat ridges and standard holes, as well as the fact that each spearhead was exactly the same. A look of surprise flashed across his eyes, and he looked at Chen Yuan with a more thoughtful gaze.

"Third Master, Uncle Han, all fifty are ready. I have thirty left," Chen Yuan said.

"Big Hammer, take some men and go with Chen to retrieve it!" Third Master immediately ordered.

Soon, the remaining thirty spearheads were also retrieved.

Fifty gleaming new spearheads were piled up on the threshing floor. Although they did not have the same visual impact as the heavy spears, their quality and neatness gave the villagers a different kind of confidence.

"Chen Yuan," Third Master said earnestly, looking at the spearheads and then at Chen Yuan, "with these spearheads, our village protection team's weapons are finally looking presentable. The village will remember this favor. Do you think the remaining iron... can we forge something else? Like, broadswords? Thick and heavy ones, good for chopping. Price is negotiable, or do you see anything else you need in the village?"

Chen Yuan had the same idea and nodded, saying, "Third Master, we still have quite a bit of iron. Besides the broadsword, I think we should... get a few muskets too?" He pointed to a long, cloth-wrapped object that he had placed to the side.

"I figured out how to make a homemade firearm myself. I tested it out, and it was very loud and shot far. Sometimes it was more effective against fleeing soldiers with guns than stabbing them with knives at close range. It was just that it took a lot of time to make and the materials had to be of high quality."

"A musket?" Everyone's eyes lit up.

Zhao Dachui immediately said, "That's right! I've seen Brother Chen's musket, it's the real deal! It's much better than those two old muskets in the village! If we had a few of those, guarding a strategic location, no matter how many fleeing soldiers came, they would be terrified!"

Old Han nodded in agreement: "That makes sense. A spear gives you courage in close combat, while a musket gives you intimidating presence. It's best to have both."

Wen Shizhou slowly spoke, "Brother Chen, your considerations are thorough. Combining cold and firearms maximizes the advantages of terrain and manpower. I just wonder, how much will it cost to manufacture this musket? Is there still time?"

Chen Yuan quickly calculated in his mind that the remaining iron (53 kg) and energy (0.66%) could still produce some more.

"Mr. Wen, Third Master," Chen Yuan said, "the remaining iron should be enough to forge ten thick-backed broadswords, and... five gun barrels. The broadswords are simple and won't take much work. The gun barrels are more intricate and require more time and effort. I can focus on making the broadswords and gun barrels first, and find a carpenter in the village to make the handles and stocks. We can work on the firing mechanisms later, or modify what we can from old firearms."

"Alright! Let's do it this way!" Third Master made the decision.

"Let's get the broadsword and gun barrel first! Chen, what else do you need? Just say the word. We may not have much else in the village, but we've got plenty of strength and the ability to walk the mountain paths!"

The agreement was reached immediately.

Chen Yuan returned to the mountain valley with a new manufacturing mission.

A new instruction was given to the platform: to manufacture ten thick-backed machetes and five seamless steel pipes with a diameter of about 12-13 mm and a length of about 80 cm.

光幕计算后给出反馈：十把大刀需铁约15公斤，能耗0.08%；五根枪管需优质铁料约8公斤，能耗0.12%。总计需铁约23公斤，能耗0.20%。剩余铁料约35公斤，剩余能量约0.46%。

"Execute manufacturing," Chen Yuan ordered.

The energy supply is sufficient to support this batch of production.

The platform restarted.

More than an hour later, ten large swords with thick backs, broad blades, and imposing designs were completed.

Nearly two hours later, five seamless steel pipes with smooth inner and outer surfaces and uniform specifications were also completed.

Looking at the gleaming broadsword and the heavy, cold gun barrel on the ground, Chen Yuan let out a long sigh of relief.

The first step in arming Gouzi Village can be considered an overachievement.

With fifty standard spears, ten cleavers, five core components that could become muskets in the future, plus the village's two old muskets and his own flintlock pistol, Gouzi Village's self-defense capabilities had undergone a qualitative change.

It was getting late, so he decided to recharge a bit more.

If you get tired, take a walk around the neighborhood and look for silica.

The next day, the broadswords and gun barrels were transported back to the village in batches again.

When these things appeared on the threshing floor, they caused a greater sensation than any spearhead.

The intimidating presence of the broadsword and the "high-end" quality represented by the gun barrel gave the villagers a subtle sense of confidence to proactively confront the impending crisis.

Yesterday, the men of Gouzi Village worked through the night to attach shafts to spears, and now they are starting to attach handles to broadswords and wrap them with strips of cloth.

A few people with some carpentry skills began to figure out how to make gunstocks for those five precious steel pipes.

Wen Shizhou, Zhao Dachui, and others held a simple diagram of a flintlock breech drawn by Chen Yuan and discussed how to modify old items or collect parts.

An unprecedented sense of unity and the tense excitement of the impending battle permeated the entire village.

Chen Yuan did not stay to participate; he quietly returned to the mountain valley.

Looking at the remaining 0.41% of energy on the platform and the remaining 30 kilograms of iron next to it, he knew that the work of building the "shield and spear" for the village had come to a temporary end.

He now needs to figure out how to hide the flint platform.

The defeated soldiers are not the biggest threat yet.

The Japanese will definitely come into the mountains in the future. Such a platform, or his continuous production of ironware, might attract the attention of the Japanese, and we need to protect it.

He pondered, his gaze falling on the quietly standing "Flint" platform and the human-powered generator beside it.

These things are too conspicuous. Even with disguise, it's hard to guarantee they won't be discovered by retreating soldiers, bandits, or even Japanese soldiers who come to sweep through the mountains in the future.

If discovered, the consequences would be unimaginable.

He must find them a safer hiding place.

He remembered the abandoned mine shaft that he had previously discovered, which appeared to be a coal mine.

The entrance is hidden, and the interior appears quite deep. Moving the platform and generator inside and concealing them would greatly improve safety.

Furthermore, there may still be residual coal or other mineral resources inside the mine.

"Firework, query: Is it possible to move the entire platform to the mine in the northwest? Will the move affect the platform's structure or function?" he asked.

Light screen information refresh:

[Platform-based short-distance adaptive mobile query.]

Distance to the mine: approximately 800 meters.

Terrain assessment: Mountainous terrain with undulations; the platform needs to adapt to the terrain autonomously.

Energy requirement: 5.0%.

Impact: The relocation process will consume a lot of energy, and the platform will enter an energy-saving state after the relocation.

Short-distance movement has no impact on the structure, but it is necessary to ensure that the target location has sufficient space and stability.

Only 5%!

Chen Yuan gasped.

That's almost fifty times his current total energy!

No wonder the platform's energy was only 0.7% when it first arrived; the journey itself or even earlier movements must have consumed a huge amount of energy.

Even if he kept pedaling day and night, it would take him many days to accumulate that 5% of energy, given his current power generation efficiency.

He needs a safer place, but moving is too costly.

Perhaps we could explore the mine first to see if it's truly suitable for hiding and if it has any other value.

"Looks like I'll have to go check out that cave first," Chen Yuan muttered to himself.

He needs to know the situation inside the cave: whether it is stable, whether there is poisonous gas or water, how deep it is, and whether there are other exits.

If conditions are right, we'll find a way to accumulate energy to move the platform.

He packed his things and hid the newly made steel pipes and parts deep in the cave, covering them with stones.

He prepared a machete, a flint and steel, and found some dry pine resin to apply to dry tree branches before setting off towards the mine he remembered.

The mine was located upstream of the dried-up riverbed, hidden by vines at the foot of a steep mountain wall.

In the past, Chen Yuan searched again for nearby quartz sand.

He recognized this kind of stone; it was some kind of transparent stone. He found some and planned to bring them back to the Flint Platform to show it to them.

If possible, he would find more to replenish the silicon raw materials.

Afterwards, Chen Yuan carefully used a machete to cut through some thorns, revealing a dark hole.

The entrance to the cave has rough traces of artificial excavation. It is about one and a half people high and wide enough for two people to walk side by side, but after a few steps inside, it is completely dark.

A cold, damp smell, carrying a strong earthy and slightly musty odor, wafted out of the cave.

He lit a torch and held it in his hand.

The flickering flames barely illuminated a few meters ahead.

The cave walls are made of dark rock layers, and in some places you can see faint coal seam textures.

The ground was uneven, with gravel and puddles. He walked carefully inside, the firelight casting huge, flickering shadows on the cave walls.

After walking about ten meters, the tunnel began to slope downwards and a fork in the road appeared.

The main cave seemed to extend downwards, deep and endless.

The other fork in the road is narrower, but appears to be flat.

Chen Yuan chose the main tunnel and continued downwards.

The crackling sound of burning pine torches was amplified in the absolute silence.

He kept a close eye on the path beneath his feet and the rock face above him, wary of potential landslides or poisonous insects.

After advancing about thirty meters, the passage widened, revealing a larger cave.

In the firelight, he could see the coal seams on the cave walls more clearly, and some rotten wood and rusty iron fragments were scattered on the ground.

In one corner of the cave, there was a small pile of shiny black coal, the same kind of smokeless coal he had picked up earlier.

The air circulation inside the cave seemed okay, with no obvious stuffiness, but the temperature was a bit higher than outside.

He inspected the cave ceiling, which appeared to be fairly stable, with no obvious cracks or loose rocks.

He walked to the end of the cave and found that the main cave continued downwards for a while before reaching the end.

It seems there's no more coal.

"There's enough space here to easily hide the platform and generator."

"And there's coal there, and the location is secluded," Chen Yuan thought. "But it needs to be cleaned up, the clutter moved away, and ventilation needs to be considered. If we're staying inside for a long time, we might need better lighting and ventilation."

After completing the exploration, he slowly withdrew from the mine.

Back in the sunlight, he breathed a long sigh of relief.

The conditions inside the cave were better than expected; it was an ideal hiding place.

But the 5% power required by the mobile platform is like a mountain blocking our way.

After taking the stone back, the "Flint" platform tested it and deemed it usable.

The problem is that the silicon content of this silica is not high, so a very large amount needs to be collected.

Looking at the meager 0.41% remaining energy display, a strong sense of urgency gripped him.

With an external crisis looming, self-defense weapons yet to be developed, and a safe base requiring a massive amount of energy to relocate... everything takes time and energy, and these are the two things he lacks most.

He sat back on the human-powered generator and stepped on the pedal again. The flywheel turned, the gears meshed, and a weak current was injected into the platform.

The numbers ticked so slowly, as if mocking his efforts.

But he didn't stop.

He knew that every lap of stampede was a fight for survival, a way to earn the 5% relocation fee, and a way to prepare for any impending disaster. It was a small but necessary investment of capital.

Chen Yuan drank another bowl of chicken soup, feeling satisfied, and happily started pedaling again.