Heikou (Black Dragon Mouth)
Heicheng (Black Dragon City)
Censorate (Supervisory Court)
Yuling City (Jade City)
Jingui Town (Golden Turtle Town)
...
At first, Yin Jixue had planned to start with a simple wooden bicycle prototype to test the concept.
But when faced with the crude, brake-less, pedal-less "bicycle" before her, she silently pulled out schematics from different eras of bicycle design.
The current "bicycle" lacks handbrakes entirely. Its structure consisted of wooden wheels wrapped in rubber and a seat, connected by two wooden beams to stabilize the wheels and seat. There was no drivetrain, no steering mechanism—movement relied entirely on pushing off the ground with one's feet.
Yin Jixue's original vision had been a basic bicycle: two wheels, a seat, handlebars, perhaps training wheels for balance—at minimum, something that could steer or stop when needed.
Lou Zhao studied the odd contraption with fascination:
"This is what you call a bicycle?"
Yin Jixue massaged her temples: "More like a scrapped prototype."
Lou Zhao failed to see the issue: "What's wrong with it?"
Patiently, she explained: "Technically, it works—but it's pointless. If you're using your feet for propulsion anyway, why not just walk?"
Lou Zhao pondered this: "...Because walking while sitting is more comfortable?"
Yin Jixue: Wow. Just wow.
When she moved to send the contraption back for redesign, Lou Zhao stopped her.
"It might be scrap to you, but we could sell it."
Yin Jixue eyed him suspiciously: "Are you an imposter? Since when did you become business-savvy?"
Lou Zhao missed her sarcasm: "During the Yuling City trip, they sold paper for three premium hides per sheet and rebranded glass as 'crystal.' If they're eager for Black Dragon City goods, we might as well profit from their enthusiasm."
Had he arrived earlier, those hides would've been his already.
Yin Jixue was stunned: "Paper fetched that much?" They'd underpriced it initially.
The merchants had traded one hide per sheet in Black Dragon City, then resold each sheet for three premium hides—making paper more lucrative than glass.
That the Demon King had developed a mercantile (some might say profiteering) instinct filled Yin Jixue with pride.
"Fine, we'll keep it," she conceded. It wasn't like it took up much space anyway.
But if they were serious about bicycle production, wooden frames alone wouldn't suffice. She might as well document the puddling process for steel refinement. Since efficiency was key, she also researched water-powered blast furnace designs.
This meant relocating the city's blacksmith workshops riverside to centralize steel production under professional management.
Recalling that spinning wheels also utilized hydropower, she decided to position the textile factory adjacent to the steel mill.
She'd expected resistance from the two female blacksmiths about moving their established urban workshops.
To her surprise, they complied eagerly, their "Whatever Her Majesty says goes" attitude leaving a favorable impression.
With Construction Team Two yet to depart for Black Dragon Mouth, Yin Jixue tasked them with factory site selection and initial riverside construction.
The blueprint included not just workshops but dormitories, a canteen, and guard posts.
To prevent water pollution, the complex was situated downstream, near the abandoned settlement where out-of-city demons once lived.
The village now lay in ruins—its flimsy structures collapsed under winter snowdrifts.
As workers cleared the site for construction, former residents now housed in employee dormitories often came to watch.
This land held their childhood memories. While its transformation stirred bittersweet nostalgia, they took pride in contributing to its new purpose.