T/N:
Heikou (Black Dragon Mouth)
Heicheng (Black Dragon City)
Censorate (Supervisory Court)
...
Lou Zhao personally sought out the old demon.
"It seems like you're not doing so well." That made him happy.
The old demon ignored him and continued teaching his clumsy apprentice how to blow glass.
Lou Zhao took out the blueprint: "Take a look at something good. Don't say I didn't give you a heads-up."
Having been tricked by Lou Zhao before, the old demon glanced at the blueprint skeptically before snatching it.
"This... what is this?" The old demon held up the blueprint, trying to make out the words.
Lou Zhao took it back: "Stop looking. Your eyelids are practically covering your eyes."
The old demon was ancient, the oldest demon in the Black Dragon Tribe. No one remembered his name, so everyone just called him "Old Demon." Only a few had any memory of him, knowing he was once a prophet.
The old demon rubbed his hands together: "What is this for?"
Lou Zhao complained boastfully: "My queen trusted me with this task. Once it's made, it'll be a thing that runs on the ground, capable of carrying forty demons. It's called a bus."
The old demon slapped his apprentice on the back: "Did you learn it?"
The apprentice trembled, on the verge of tears: "I... I learned it."
The old demon turned to Lou Zhao with a flattering smile: "I'm familiar with this. I'll assist you, and I'll make sure your little queen is satisfied. How about it?"
Lou Zhao's face was full of reluctance: "Since you want to help with the research, I'm not the kind of bad guy who bullies the elderly. You can join the research, but no leaking it to outsiders."
The old demon's mouth twitched. Lou Zhao had the nerve to say he didn't bully the elderly. When Lou Zhao was born, the old demon had once patted the little cub's bottom, and Lou Zhao has held a grudge ever since.
The glass factory's manager had run away, but since he was taken by the Demon King, no one reported it. The trembling apprentices were suddenly left without a master, blowing glass in fear.
Lou Zhao brought the old demon to an empty area of the palace where Yin Jixue rarely ventured.
Once he had lured the old demon there, Lou Zhao revealed his true colors: "I happen to know how to read and understand this blueprint. I'll need your help."
The old demon snorted coldly, not bothering to respond.
He had only come to help out of pure curiosity about the blueprint and the bus. He saw right through Lou Zhao's little schemes.
Meanwhile, road construction was progressing steadily.
Gou Chen had selected several different routes. Some were fixed routes between two points, while others were straight lines between two cities.
The queen had said that straight-line distances were shorter, but if the terrain in between was too complex, they would have to reconsider.
Construction Team One had just finished expanding the roads outside the city and was now starting on the highway.
They didn't know what a highway was, but they figured they'd just build it like a normal road.
Construction Team Two was still working outside the city. They needed to build a few more dormitory buildings and leave space for road greenery and small plaza greenery.
Now, the road from the city gate to the mining dormitories and then to the mine had been paved with new roads—not the asphalt roads of the city, but ordinary cement roads.
However, for the demons inside and outside the city, having proper roads made things much more convenient.
The reason Yin Jixue wanted to create incandescent lights was that the roads were too long and had no streetlights. Demons returning from outside the city at night had to grope their way home in the dark, with the bonfire at the city gate being the only "guiding light."
Yin Jixue scribbled on the paper, feeling that her imagination was too limited. She had been blinded by modern industry, forgetting that demons had flying devices that defied science.
The terrain along the straight-line distance had no issues, except for the many peaks, which would require either cutting off a section of the mountain or digging a tunnel.
That was her initial idea.
But then she had an epiphany.
Why not use this terrain to create a roller coaster?
Yes, a roller coaster. Demons themselves were not bound by science, and materials that could float in the air were not uncommon.
The palace floated in mid-air, a suspended structure. From within the city, it wasn't noticeable, but from a distance, the palace could be seen hovering in the misty sky.
If they could find the right materials, they could solve the problem of straight-line transportation. But even if they couldn't, she could take a different approach.
If the forest was dangerous, then once tracks were laid through it, even demon beasts wouldn't be able to overturn the wildland train.
They could even develop it into a special tourist train, showcasing the safe, non-aggressive, purely ecological Black Dragon Tribe forest, boosting the development of both cities.
Of course, the windows couldn't be made of ordinary glass; they'd need upgraded materials.
But never mind, her imagination was running wild. First, they needed to figure out the floating materials and the tracks.
For now, they'd focus on making the bus.
Yin Jixue wanted to check on the progress of the bus.
The old demon had already assembled the basic framework of the bus, while Lou Zhao was still looking for parts based on the blueprint.
"Stop showing off the few words you know. If you'd just lend a hand, you could've handed this over to your little wife by now."
"Wait a bit, I'm almost done." Lou Zhao compared the parts to the blueprint. They matched.
When Yin Jixue arrived, she saw Lou Zhao diligently assembling parts, with the bus taking shape.
She was moved, but less than a second later, an old man suddenly pushed Lou Zhao aside.
The old demon was utterly disdainful of the Demon King holding him back: "If you don't know how to do it, go play with mud! You're just getting in the way!"
Lou Zhao was furious but didn't dare say anything. This old guy was the brother of the previous Demon King, and they shared half their blood.
He had been exploited by the old guy plenty when he was a child.
Yin Jixue's momentary touch of emotion vanished, replaced by a mix of amusement and exasperation. Who was this expert they had brought in?
She pretended she hadn't seen what had just happened, acting as if she had just arrived: "Oh, where did you find this old gentleman?"
Lou Zhao felt a bit guilty. How long had she been here?
The old demon, on the other hand, smiled and introduced himself: "I'm this kid's uncle. He hasn't been bullying you, has he?"
Uncle?
Why had she never seen him before?
The old demon knew she was puzzled: "Due to my status, I couldn't enter the palace on my own. I've been keeping to myself. Oh, and everyone calls me Old Demon."
Old Demon!
Yin Jixue had always known that the glass factory was run by an old demon, but he had refused to come to the palace or meet her. So it was because of his status?
Yin Jixue stepped forward enthusiastically: "So you're Old Demon! I haven't had the chance to thank you personally."
The old demon waved his hand: "Ah, no need for thanks. I did it because it was interesting. If it weren't interesting, no status would've made me do it!"
Lou Zhao snorted disdainfully, and Yin Jixue noticed him. His heart skipped a beat.
Wh-what? Why was she looking at him?
Yin Jixue said seriously: "You did well. Bringing in an expert is better than wasting materials." And an expert like Old Demon at that—what a win!
Lou Zhao: For a moment, he couldn't tell if she was praising him or mocking him.
Lou Zhao was indignant: "You think he did well?"
Yin Jixue praised sincerely: "It completely meets my expectations. It's amazing, truly a masterpiece." The system also deserved some credit.
In Lou Zhao's eyes, he had become a mere decoration, less useful than an old man.
Lou Zhao was aggrieved. He had put in effort too, so why wasn't he getting any praise: "You even made me attend classes, and I couldn't even make this. He can't even read, yet he assembled all of this."
Yin Jixue was surprised: "Different skills for different jobs. Normally, you're not good at this. It's like how I can provide seeds, but I can't farm. It's the same principle."
Wow, he couldn't even read, yet he managed to assemble a bus? He just understood the blueprint at a glance? This Old Demon had to be kept around!