Chapter 175: Zheng Da's Loyalty

The aftershock of the explosion had not yet dissipated, and the courtyard was filled with wailing cries.

Luo Yi, his head and face covered in ash, crawled out from behind the wooden plank; he didn't bother wiping the soot from his face and rushed straight toward the heap of boiler wreckage still billowing white smoke.

"Failed… failed again…" he muttered dejectedly, staring at the boiler shattered into pieces.

To cast this boiler, he and his craftsmen had been toiling for over three months straight. They tried numerous formulas and refined the casting process more than a dozen times before barely managing to produce this massive contraption.

He had expected success this time, but at the final step it still fell short.

"Mr. Luo! Are you alright?" several scholars hurriedly gathered around.

"I'm fine," Luo Yi waved his hand, his gaze landing on the craftsman whose half head had been cut off by an Iron Control piece, a flash of pain and guilt crossing his eyes.

That man had been his master for over a decade; his family still had a wife and children waiting for his support. Now, he's gone like that.

"Carry the wounded down for proper treatment! The dead… give them a proper burial. Compensation, at three times the highest standard," Luo Yi instructed hoarsely.

"Understood."

When Wang Zhen gathered them here, he had already clearly informed them of their conditions, and the Head of Family's investment in them could be freely allocated; he only cared about results, so Luo Yi could make decisions directly!

Seeing the bloody, chaotic scene before them, several of Zheng Da's companions behind him turned pale, some even beginning to dry‑retch.

Although they were in the Purge Squad and had killed and seen blood before, that was with firearms; watching a living person being blown to pieces before their eyes was their first time.

That fear of an unknown, uncontrollable force began to spread in their hearts.

At that moment, Zheng Da made a move that no one expected.

He walked straight up to Luo Yi.

"Mr. Luo," his voice hoarse from the blast, "may we ask what we can do now?"

Luo Yi lifted his head and looked at him in surprise.

The short man before him had a squalid face, but his eyes showed no trace of fear.

"You?" Luo Yi surveyed him and the group of young Apprentices behind him, "Were you sent here by the Head of Family from the Wa Country?"

"Yes. I'm Zheng Da."

These master craftsmen had long known about Wang Zhen's recruitment from the Wa Country; after all, the experimental damage would be less here—if they had used Wa people, incidents like today wouldn't have occurred.

"Zheng Da…" Luo Yi nodded, "You arrived just in time. Someone just died here, and we need hands. Go collect every piece of the boiler fragments; none may be missing!"

His mind was now consumed with figuring out the cause of the explosion.

"Understood!" Zheng Da showed no hesitation, turned instantly, and ordered his companions behind him.

"Everyone, hear my command! Begin clearing the site immediately and collect the boiler fragments!"

The ninety‑nine companions, upon his shout, felt that lingering fear instantly crushed by their fervent devotion to the Wang Family.

"Yes! Captain!"

They answered in unison and swiftly threw themselves into the cleanup.

The boiler fragments still radiated scorching heat, yet they paid no mind. Some without tools even lifted them by hand; after seeing the burns on their hands, they merely frowned and kept working.

This display left everyone present dumbfounded.

These Wa people… are they all mad?

Luo Yi looked at the young man named Zheng Da, feeling a surge of astonishment.

From this youth, he saw an almost obsessive execution drive.

"Mr. Luo," Zheng Da placed the largest boiler fragment before Luo Yi, "You see, the fracture here looks unusual."

Luo Yi's attention was instantly drawn to it.

He took the fragment and examined it carefully.

It was a piece from the boiler's base; the break displayed an uneven gray‑white hue. A touch revealed tiny particles that could be pinched off.

"This is… the impurities in the Iron Control water weren't fully removed!" Luo Yi's eyes flashed, "It's sulfur! The Iron Control water contains too much sulfur, making the casting brittle and lacking toughness! Hence it can't withstand pressure!"

He finally pinpointed the problem!

"Quick! Bring Chief Overseer Zhang from the Iron Control Foundry here!" Luo Yi shouted excitedly.

Soon, the Iron Control workshop official who had previously questioned the boiler process was summoned.

When he saw the fragment and heard Luo Yi's analysis, he too was enlightened.

"Exactly! It's sulfur! We recently switched to a new batch of Iron Control ore; perhaps its sulfur content is higher than before! We only focused on raising furnace temperature and forgot to add a desulfurization step!" Chief Overseer Zhang slapped his thigh in frustration.

"Finding the problem is good enough!" Luo Yi exhaled, "Return immediately, revise the formula, improve the process! I want you to forge a brand‑new boiler within half a month that will never explode again!"

"Understood!" Chief Overseer Zhang took the order and hurried away.

Luo Yi turned his head, looking at Zheng Da, a hint of approval in his eyes.

"Zheng Da, is that your name?"

"Yes, this name was bestowed by the Head of Family!"

"You're impressive," Luo Yi patted his shoulder, "You're not only brave but also meticulous."

"From today onward, stay by my side and run errands for me."

Hearing this, Zheng Da's heart leapt.

He had earned the favor of this Han elder, able to serve him; he was one step closer to gaining recognition from this great and sacred nation.

"Thank you, Mr. Luo, for your mentorship!" He bowed deeply; this was Wang Meng's instruction before departing—not to kneel and thank casually!

……

In the days that followed, Zheng Da's companions became the most unusual group within the Science Academy.

They took on all the dirtiest, most exhausting, and most hazardous jobs.

Adding coal, stoking fires, clearing furnace slag, transporting scorching Iron Control water…

They seemed tireless, spending every moment—aside from eating and sleeping—in the workshop.

They harbored no complaints, instead taking pride in it.

Because, they were 'devoting' themselves for a great family.

Thanks to their 'effort', the research progress of the Science Academy greatly accelerated.

Half a month later, a brand-new boiler that adopted the desulfurization technique was successfully cast.

This time, it successfully withstood three pressure tests without exploding.

When Luo Yi watched the piston connected to the cylinder, driven by steam, for the first time it clumsily but actually moved up and down one stroke.

This leading academic who had been researching miscellaneous subjects for over ten years could no longer hold back, and he directly clutched his head and burst into tears.

"It moved! It finally moved!"

Zheng Da was also deeply shaken by this miraculous force.

He watched the piston moving up and down, as if he had witnessed the advent of a new world.