Chapter 1178, A New Contraption

Translator: Silavin

 

“Shaman, the bicycle is finished.” Sha Lan came running in from outside, bursting with excitement.

 

Sha Lan rushed in without even taking off her cloak, still dusted all over with snowflakes.

 

The moment she stepped inside, every last one of those snowflakes melted away into water. The heating in the Yong’an Building was, after all, running very strong.

 

“The bicycle is already finished?” Su Bai was genuinely delighted to hear it.

 

He had handed some design drawings to the workshop some time ago and had never asked after them again. Making a bicycle in this era was no small feat.

 

There were many things required: tyres, chains, the overall structure, and so on.

 

For someone who had never encountered a bicycle, let alone seen one, to construct one in this age would truly be extraordinary.

 

“Yes! I had just finished training when the Chieftain told me to come and tell you, and to ask you to hurry over and have a look.” Sha Lan’s breathing had only just steadied.

 

“And Ah’Hua? Is she already waiting there?” Su Bai asked.

 

“She’s already there. When I asked her to come with me just now, she said she’d wait for you there instead.” Sha Lan said with a gentle laugh. She had run over the moment she heard, just to bring Su Bai the news as quickly as possible.

 

“Let’s go then. What are we waiting for? Let’s go and see what all the fuss is about.” Su Bai rose to his feet.

 

He was genuinely curious what kind of bicycle these people had managed to produce, this was done entirely without consulting him.

 

The workshop people had received the drawings and had not asked him a single question since.

 

This bicycle was wholly their own work, produced from studying the drawings. If it could actually be ridden, it would say a great deal about their ability.

 

“Yes.” Sha Lan nodded with a bright smile.

 

The group rose at once and headed out the door, each grabbing a wide cloak to drape over their shoulders.

 

*Step step step…*

 

About ten minutes later, they arrived at the front of the workshop. There was a large open space in front of it, kept clear precisely for the workshop people to conduct experiments.

 

“Shaman, the bicycle our Tribe made is finished. Come and see.” Yan Jiao said, his voice barely containing his excitement.

 

He only knew that whatever Su Bai produced was always tremendously useful, and the same went for the drawings he sketched.

 

But without having seen someone operate it, or tried it himself, there was no way to know what these things could actually do.

 

So, Yan Jiao was eager to see what a bicycle truly was. He had heard it described as a vehicle, something that could replace walking and cover great distances.

 

“Let me have a look.” Su Bai walked forward with a smile.

 

He studied the bicycle placed out on the square carefully. The appearance was not unlike those back on Earth.

 

Two wheels, handlebars, a seat, and a rear rack. It was all there. But in terms of detail, it could not compare to what Earth produced.

 

Earth’s bicycles were refined products over the years. This one naturally looked far rougher.

 

Even so, everything essential was present. The material on the outside of the wheels resembled a proper tyre. The chain was remarkably similar. And most importantly, the shape of the seat was identical.

 

“What material did you use for the tyres?” Su Bai asked.

 

He had only given a rough description of the material for each component. He had not told them exactly what it was. After all, telling them about rubber in this era would have meant little. They had no idea what rubber was.

 

So, he had only described it as something that could absorb impact and had a degree of elasticity. Whether they could figure it out was entirely down to the workshop’s ingenuity.

 

“We found something in the forest that was very close to what the Shaman described. After being boiled at high temperature, it can be shaped, and it takes on whatever form you pour it into. Very convenient.”

 

The workshop supervisor explained with a wide, beaming smile. “We tried it out and found it really was just like what the Shaman described. And it rolls very smoothly as well…”

 

The moment he got onto a technical subject, he was off to the races. His expression was animated and varied as though his face itself were dancing.

 

“Great. Is this material plentiful? Could it be produced in quantity?” Su Bai asked.

 

“There’s a ton of it in the forest. You could say it’s everywhere. I only came across it by chance.” The workshop supervisor said again.

 

“Good. We should store a good supply of this material. It’ll be very useful going forward.” Su Bai said, satisfied.

 

The Tribe’s carriage tyres had previously been made from something similar, but that material had been extremely scarce.

 

Which was why the number of carriages in the Flame Dragon Tribe had remained low. There were only the same few going back and forth. The main constraint had always been materials.

 

“Yes.” The workshop supervisor nodded at once.

 

“Let me try and see whether this bicycle actually moves.” Su Bai said with a smile, walking over to it.

 

He reached out and placed his hands on the handlebars, feeling the first bicycle of this Primitive Era beneath his grip.

 

It had to be said, the overall look was quite convincing. It was unmistakably a bicycle, even if somewhat rough around the edges.

 

But that did nothing to dampen Su Bai’s excitement. He simply got on and began riding around the square.

 

The moment he mounted the bicycle, he moved like a swallow. He was light and swift, gliding across the snow-cleared square with effortless ease.

 

Everyone watching fell into stunned silence. It was simply too astonishing.

 

Two wheeled things and a bundle of iron, and one could just ride it like that. It overturned the entire worldview of these people.

 

They had thought carriages were the most remarkable thing, after all, they required a Ferocious Beast to provide the strength to pull them.

 

But a bicycle was something else entirely. Two wheels, a push of the feet, and it moved.

 

And the speed was considerable. It looked steady and controlled. And it was clearly much faster than walking.

 

[This is great. Using plant oil for lubrication was a clever idea too. One has to give credit to their ingenuity.] Su Bai was thoroughly satisfied.

 

To produce a fully working bicycle from a single drawing really was impressive. Even in the modern world, not many people could do that.

 

“Shaman, is it dangerous?” Yu Ying asked from the side, her voice laced with worry.

 

Yu Ying had been anxious the whole time. She knew nothing about bicycles, but seeing something move that fast was enough to make anyone at least a little nervous.

 

“Don’t worry, it’s very safe. Would you like to try?” Su Bai offered warmly.