Free Web NovelChapter 352: Chapter 199: System Reward: Alchemy and the Seven-Star Wind Pill Furnace
Lu Yuan thought about it. ’It seems I don’t need any display screens, or even a connection to a base station to transmit signals.’
’Aren’t these surveillance devices just for giving people warnings?’
The Martial Hall was full of people, and there was nothing particularly valuable inside anyway.
The purpose of the surveillance cameras was to cover the blind spots—to catch any outsiders who might sneak in without the Mansion Guards noticing, even when they were on duty.
Even with so many Grand Celestial Masters and Celestial Masters stationed inside, even a tiger has to nap sometime.
Lu Yuan looked at the twenty surveillance cameras arranged on the floor and felt like a regular boy genius. He was immensely pleased with himself.
Lu Yuan called for his trusted aide waiting outside the door.
The aide came in, glanced at the objects strewn across the floor, and cupped his hands. "Young Master, what are your orders?"
Lu Yuan pointed to the surveillance cameras on the floor. "This afternoon, find some men to transport these to the Martial Hall."
"Yes, Young Master. What kind of new weapons are these? They look awfully strange," the aide said, confused.
The surveillance cameras were all perfectly spherical, like large cannonballs.
Lu Yuan had chosen this design to allow the cameras 360-degree surveillance with no blind spots.
The aide assumed the Young Master had invented another type of firearm. Ever since they had gotten used to guns, traditional weapons like spears and broadswords just seemed less impressive.
Lu Yuan didn’t put on any airs. He simply explained, "These are alarm devices. Once they’re installed on the outer walls of the Martial Hall, they’ll sound an alarm to alert everyone inside if someone gets too close."
The aide listened, only half-understanding.
That afternoon, Lu Yuan was outside the Martial Hall, directing his subordinates as they installed the twenty surveillance cameras atop the compound walls.
A number of Mansion Guards gathered in a circle, murmuring amongst themselves.
These Mansion Guards had never seen a surveillance camera before and didn’t understand their leader’s knack for invention. They just stared curiously.
At Lu Yuan’s signal, a subordinate flipped the operating switch on the surveillance cameras.
The crowd was now within the cameras’ detection range, and several of the nearby devices began to emit a low wailing sound.
The inexperienced Mansion Guards were astonished. One of them even asked, "What’s that sound? Is there some kind of Demon Beast locked in that tiny cage?"
Of course, a few were able to make an educated guess. "What do you know? Haven’t you ever heard of a radio? It’s a box that can make sound. You can listen to music and stories on it."
"A radio? I’ve heard of those. I think they’re made in the Zhao Mansion’s factory in Taiping City. After I get my pay this month, I’m going to buy one."
"The boss made those radios, too?"
"You know it."
"Still, looking at this thing... it doesn’t look like any radio."
...
As the surveillance cameras continued to wail, they drew everyone else out from inside the Martial Hall.
Lu Yuan scanned the crowd of Mansion Guards. Good, everyone was present.
Lu Yuan raised his voice. "A few days ago, when I came to the Martial Hall, I saw two Mansion Guards standing sentry at the gate, leaning on their Red Tassel Spears."
Before Lu Yuan could finish, a few of the Mansion Guards hung their heads in shame. ’We were already punished with gate duty because we ranked low in martial training,’ they thought. ’Now the boss is calling us out in public. This is so humiliating!’
Outside of this place, these Mansion Guards were all capable men of some repute.
But here, it was a clear case of there always being a higher mountain. If you were a scrub, you just had to train harder.
"These things we’ve installed are called surveillance cameras. They can detect whether people or Xingzi are lurking about or approaching the Martial Hall. Whether for security or confidentiality, think of them as support equipment."
"The reason they’re going off right now is that we’re standing inside the restricted zone they’re programmed to monitor. They will sound an alarm whenever anyone gets near the Martial Hall. The guards on duty must investigate the cause, including the possibility of approaching Void Body Xingzi."
Lu Yuan’s explanation made everyone understand what was happening, and they all praised their leader’s ingenuity.
The presence of the surveillance cameras greatly reduced the workload for the sentries posted at the four corners of the Martial Hall’s walls.
Technology, after all, changes the world.
The Mansion Guards admired Lu Yuan from the bottom of their hearts. They raised their arms and cheered, "Our leader is mighty! Our leader is mighty!"
Lu Yuan stood before the crowd and gestured for them to settle down. "All right, get back to your training. Let me know if you need anything."
Lu Yuan still hadn’t assigned any specific missions to the more than five hundred Mansion Guards, merely ordering them to train hard and improve their individual strength.
Among them, many Celestial Masters had already attained the capabilities of a Grand Celestial Master.
However, Lu Yuan hadn’t allowed them to go to the nearby Dou Shi Temple to have their new ranks certified.
When they first joined the Zhao Mansion’s Martial Hall, Lu Yuan had made the rules perfectly clear. They were to maintain the highest level of secrecy regarding the Martial Hall and were forbidden from undergoing any further rank certifications.
Only Xiaohanzi, the trusted subordinate of Jinyi Guard Jiang Huai, was permitted to act as a messenger, and all information he carried was first vetted by Lu Yuan.
The information allowed to pass was all meant to deceive the Emperor. The Emperor was far too suspicious, and while Lu Yuan had no intention of rebelling, he knew that possessing a treasure can be a crime in itself. He had to be on his guard.
After installing the surveillance cameras at the Martial Hall, Lu Yuan felt much more at ease. That was one more problem solved.
Lu Yuan hummed a tune as he walked back to the Zhao Mansion, needing no one to escort or protect him.
Lu Yuan’s brick phone rang. Seeing the long-unseen number, he smiled faintly and answered the call.
"Brother Lu, I’m back in Yandu. When are you going to come for a visit? I’ve got your share of the factory’s profits for you." It was Gu Gaoxu’s voice on the other end of the line.
After that fellow Gu Gaoxu was escorted into the Imperial City by the Celestial Dynasty Palace and the Music Priest, the Emperor had "generously" rewarded him with twenty strokes from a heavy plank, followed by a gift of Golden Wound Medicine.
The Emperor’s punishment was far lighter than Gu Gaoxu had imagined. He’d initially protested coming to the Imperial City, fearing for his head, but it turned out to be no big deal after all.
Gu Gaoxu cultivated the "True Martial" arts. While not as effective at strengthening the body as Lu Yuan’s "Holy Body" technique, his martial practice had still improved his physical constitution to the point where he could easily endure twenty strokes of the plank.
Lu Yuan made a polite refusal. "What profit sharing? You can keep it. I don’t need it."
Gu Gaoxu replied, "Alright then, Brother Lu. Since you’re being so generous, there’s no need for you to come to Yandu. I’ll just accept the money on your behalf."
Gu Gaoxu’s cheerful acceptance took Lu Yuan, who had only been making a customary refusal, completely by surprise. He was left speechless.
’Did that guy really just agree so easily?’
’So the dividend I’ve been dreaming about is just... gone?’ Lu Yuan thought. ’I went through all that trouble to save that brat’s life on the battlefield, and for what?’
Lu Yuan snapped, "Hey, you punk! That’s a huge sum of money! You think you can just swallow it all? Aren’t you afraid you’ll choke on it?!"
The Yandu operation was massive, several times larger than the factory in Taiping City, and its profits were much higher.
There was no way Lu Yuan was going to give that up.
Hearty laughter came from Gu Gaoxu on the other end of the line. "Brother Lu, I was just messing with you! Come on over! I’ve had the bookkeeper calculate your share several times. We’re just waiting for you to come sign for it and get your money."
Lu Yuan listened, thinking, ’I guess you have a conscience after all, you little punk. You didn’t try to pocket my share. Otherwise, I would have really misjudged you.’
Gu Gaoxu might be carefree and informal, but he was a man who valued loyalty.
Lu Yuan said, "Alright, I’ll head over soon when I have time."
Gu Gaoxu replied, "I’ll be waiting for you~"
"Alright, see you." With that, Lu Yuan hung up.
Gu Gaoxu’s last words struck Lu Yuan as a bit effeminate. He almost wondered if Gu Gaoxu had been castrated during his trip to the Imperial City.
Back at the mansion, Lu Yuan had dinner with his two aunts.
For the past few days, Lu Yuan had rarely left his room for meals, busy as he was with building the surveillance cameras.
Looking at the huge round table, occupied only by himself and his two aunts, the room felt a bit desolate.
Su Liyan and her mother had gone back to their family home in Changliu Village.
As for Xiaoqian, she was spending a lot of time with Su Changliang these days. She rarely ate at the Zhao Mansion anymore, as Su Changliang was always taking her out to try all sorts of foods and have fun.
Xiaoqian still returned to the Zhao Mansion to sleep every night, never staying out.
When Su Changliang was busy with his duties, Xiaoqian would stay inside the Zhao Mansion, helping Aunt Zhao with chores to pass the time.
Everyone was very supportive of the situation with Xiaoqian. It wasn’t like she was seeing a stranger; he was one of their own, and Su Changliang was a dependable man.
Lu Yuan tapped his head with his chopsticks. ’How could I have forgotten about this matter?’
