The room goes through the late Ming Dynasty, and the back door leads to North America at the beginni

Boom, boom, boom...

The time bell rang.

Zheng Sen and Wang Euzhi walked out of the large classroom of the Department of Politics and rushed to the cafeteria.

As for Zhang Huangyan and Yao Qisheng, they transferred to Nanjing Military Academy in August last year.

Nanjing University is currently divided into four colleges: liberal arts, science, engineering, and agriculture.

Under the College of Liberal Arts, there are six major departments: literature, philosophy, politics, law, history, and economics.

Under the College of Science, there are six major departments: mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, and geography.

Because the development of science in Dawei has just started and university education is still in the experimental stage, currently the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Science are only divided into departments and not majors.

The College of Engineering and the College of Agriculture are divided into departments and majors.

The Institute of Engineering currently has departments of metallurgy and engineering.

The Department of Metallurgy consists of majors such as steel smelting, coal mining and application, and alloy smelting.

Under the Department of Engineering, there are majors such as civil engineering, water conservancy engineering, mechanical engineering, and chemical engineering.

The Agricultural College currently has six major departments: grain, fruits and vegetables, animal husbandry, forestry, aquatic products, and medicinal plants. Each department is also subdivided into one to several majors.

The above are all the results of further reforms in university education last year.

After Zheng Sen and four other people completed one year of college preparatory studies, they were faced with the problem of branching into departments and choosing majors.

Zhang Huangyan and Yao Qisheng were both more interested in military affairs.

However, although Nanjing University covers most of the current mainstream knowledge, it does not include military and medicine.

However, Nanjing does have independent Nanjing Military Academy and Nanjing Medical College.

The two submitted their applications, and after passing the exam and interview, they transferred to Nanjing Military Academy to study.

Zheng Sen and Wang Fuzhi entered the Political Department of the Chinese Academy of Arts to study.

The current teaching method of Nanjing University is relatively flexible. In order to facilitate students to learn the knowledge they are interested in, in addition to majoring in a certain department or major, they can also audit and take other elective courses.

Of course, semester exams, graduation assessments, etc. only test majors.

At this time, Zheng Sen and Wang Fuzhi were discussing elective courses.

"Brother Wang, are you going to attend the Philosophy Department class this afternoon?"

Wang Fuzhi nodded, "Of course."

Zheng Sen was a little confused and said, "I also listened to a few lessons in this philosophy department with Brother Wang, and I feel that most of them are the Confucian content we learned before. Now that science is flourishing, why does Brother Wang still study Confucianism?"

Wang Fuzhi smiled and said, "Confucianism is actually included in the sciences. Just like the courses in the philosophy department, they not only include part of the content of Confucianism in the past, but also part of the content of hundreds of schools of thought in the pre-Qin period."

"In my opinion, philosophy can reveal the changes in ancient people's thoughts and make people today live more transparently. It is quite beneficial to study it."

"Live more clearly?"

Zheng Sen frowned slightly and thought, but still had difficulty understanding Wang Fuzhi's preferences.

In addition to philosophy, Wang Fuzhi also took history as an elective.

He also liked taking classes in the history department, but classes in the philosophy department made him feel that it would be better to listen to Confucian classics taught by a great Confucian scholar.

However, besides politics, Zheng Sen is most interested in economics, so he often attends classes in the economics department.

There was no class in the Department of Economics this afternoon, so Zheng Sen wanted to go on an off-campus trip with Wang Euzhi, so he wanted to persuade Wang Euzhi to skip the class in the Department of Philosophy.

Unexpectedly, his persuasion failed, and instead Wang Fuzhi led him into the "fog of philosophy."

Regarding Wang Fuzhi's words, Zheng Sen put them aside after thinking for a while and said, "Anyway, the philosophy class in the afternoon ends at three o'clock. It's still early then. Why don't we go for a walk outside the school together?"

Worried about Wang Fuzhi's rejection, he added, "We haven't left school for several days."

Wang Huizhi smiled and said, "My dear brother invites me so kindly. As a brother, it is better to be respectful than to obey."

"Hahaha···"

The two of them smiled and walked to the school cafeteria.

In fact, with Zheng Sen's wealth, he could order meals from restaurants outside the school.

But in order to avoid estrangement from his classmates, such as Wang Euzhi, who came from a more ordinary background, he always ate in the school cafeteria.

Of course, the food in the school cafeteria is not terrible, it is even delicious and affordable. But it is definitely incomparable to the signature dishes and famous dishes of those big restaurants.

After lunch, the two returned to the dormitory and met their two roommates.

They all moved here after Zhang Huangyan and Yao Qisheng left.

One is named Li Xiangen.

Born in the first year of Tianqi (1621), he was born in Suining, Sichuan.

He was born into a family of officials, and his maternal grandfather was Lu Daqi, the current governor of Guizhou.

Li Xiangen actually majored in politics, but he was delayed by something after school, so he didn't go with Zheng Sen and Wang Euzhi.

The other person is named Yu Guozhu.

Born in the fourth year of Tianqi (1624), he was born in Daye, Hubei.

He also came from a wealthy gentry family, but he only met Zheng Sen and Li Xiangen, so his family background was nothing.

Yu Guozhu majored in economics and had no class in the second period in the morning, so he had lunch earlier.

The few of them chatted for a while and learned that Zheng Sen wanted to go on a school trip in the afternoon, so they made an appointment.

Stay until three in the afternoon.

Wang Fuzhi came back from the philosophy class, and the four of them left the school together.

Zheng Sen, Li Xiangen, and Yu Guozhu all have bookboys renting accommodation near the school so that they can easily handle affairs for the three of them. Zheng Sen even has guards.

Now that the three of them were out of school, they naturally called the book boys and guards.

It's not that I'm worried about safety, it's mainly that someone can take the things I buy.

Only Wang Fuzhi, who was alone, looked more relaxed.

"Go to the National Library to return the books first, and borrow a few more books by the way."

Wang Euzhi suggested.

"it is good."

The other three people had no objection and walked to the National Library together.

Halfway down the road, I saw a burst of noise and exclamations from ahead, interspersed with strange ringing sounds.

"Make way! Make way!"

Someone shouted.

Not long after, this series of sounds came head-on.

But it was a man riding a weird two-wheeled vehicle, riding down the street.

This car seems to be made entirely of steel. It has two wheels, front and rear, but it can run. It looks very weird.

In fact, the speed of the strange car is not very fast, but the man riding it is swaying from side to side, as if he will fall down at any time.

Fortunately, the road is wide enough.

There are separate roads for pedestrians, vehicles and horses, and traffic is carried out in an orderly manner in accordance with the rules of the Ministry of Transportation.

Otherwise, this man and the strange car would have hit someone long ago.

Zheng Sen and others' eyes lit up when they saw it. They didn't come back to their senses until the strange car was gone.

"What kind of car is this?" Zheng Sen asked with interest.

Wang Fuzhi and others looked at each other, but no one could answer.

Zheng Sen then sent a bookboy to inquire.

After a while, the book boy came back and said excitedly: "Master, that strange bicycle is said to be a bicycle made by the Royal Factory. It was only put on sale in the market yesterday."

"bike?"

The book boy was smart and knew that Zheng Sen and others did not know the meaning of the word, so he explained: "It is a car that walks on its own."

Zheng Sen became more interested and immediately asked, "Is the shop selling bicycles far away?"

"Not far, just in front."

Zheng Sen then said to Wang Euzhi and others, "How about we go take a look at the bicycle first?"

"Haha, just what I wanted." Li Xiangen responded.

Yu Guozhu also nodded.

Wang Fuzhi naturally didn't want to disturb the interest of the three of them, so they went together.

Not long after walking, a few people saw hundreds of people outside a large store on the street in front. There is also a team of patrol officers outside to maintain order.

There were exclamations from inside from time to time.

Zheng Sen and others squeezed into the crowd and finally saw clearly what was going on inside.

But there was a man riding a bicycle in circles in front of the shop.

The shop sign is very eye-catching, saying: Jinling Bicycle Store.

All eight doors of the shop were opened, which was equivalent to opening a four-foot-long wall facing the street.

There are painted bicycles in the store, which look quite shocking.

Seeing several people choosing bicycles inside, Zheng Sen couldn't wait to walk in.

But he was met by a waiter in front of the store and stopped.

"Master, do you want to buy a bicycle?"

"That's right." Zheng Sen nodded.

Although he didn't know the price yet, based on his wealth, he had decided that as long as it was not so expensive that it would make people feel like a fool, he would definitely buy it.

The young clerk smiled and said, "Young master, I saw that there are too many people choosing cars in the store. If people come in at will, the store will probably be crowded."

"Young master, you might as well listen to me introduce these bicycles first. After you understand them, wait until someone comes out and then go into the store to choose. How about that?"

Zheng Sen is not cautious.

Queuing has happened to many famous stores in Nanjing.

He smiled and said, "Then just tell me. If you speak well, I will not hesitate to reward you."

Although he could tell that Zheng Sen came from a wealthy family, he became even more excited when he heard the promise.

Introduced immediately.

"Our Jinling Bicycle Factory is a royal industry, and the bicycles were developed under the guidance of His Majesty. Riding in the city is more convenient than sitting in a sedan or riding a horse."

"Currently, we have two main types of bicycles on the market. One is the ordinary model, which is the most popular one in the store, with a retail price of 188 yuan."

"The other is an exclusive Phoenix brand bicycle, which is semi-handmade based on the first bicycle dedicated to the Queen."

"The production of Phoenix brand bicycles is very limited. Currently there are only five units left, with a retail price of 666 yuan."

Li Xiangen and others behind him were secretly speechless and thought, this bicycle is too expensive.

The ordinary model costs 188 yuan. It should be noted that an ordinary good horse nowadays does not cost more than yuan.

As for the exclusive version of the bicycle, the price is even more exaggerated.

Even Li Xiangen and Yu Guozhu felt they couldn't afford it - at least they couldn't afford that much money themselves, so they had to ask for it from their families.

As for Wang Fuzhi, there is no need to think about it.

Zheng Sen said without hesitation, "I want an exclusive car. Show me the car."

At this moment, someone picked up a car and came out, so he happily took Zheng Sen in to see the car.

Not to mention the issue of rewards.

For their work, every time a bicycle is sold, they get a commission.

Although the commission for one car is very small, it adds up to a lot. With the current popularity of bicycle sales, it is not a problem to earn hundreds of yuan in commission a month.

Zheng Sen came to the hall and was led by the waiter to sit down in front of a tea seat. He was served a small pot of good tea before pointing to the exclusive bicycles not far away and introducing them.

"Master, please pay me. These bicycle frames are made of fine steel, and the wheels are wrapped with Eucommia gum and wrought iron sheets..."

Following the introduction from the clerk, Zheng Sen learned more about bicycles. He quickly chose one with a more pleasing paint color and shape, and paid a cash check on the spot to buy it.

The boy said at this time, "We are also responsible for teaching riding - sir, please follow us down to the backyard, which is spacious."

Zheng Sen came to the backyard and quickly mastered the essentials of riding under the guidance of his assistant.

But he found that riding a bicycle in a long shirt was inconvenient.

Fortunately, he was wearing the latest trousers underneath, and the gown outside was also a new model, and the hem was not too long.

But for the sake of convenience, he rolled up his gown and tied it around his waist at the suggestion of his assistant.

Zheng Sen can ride a horse, ride a boat all year round, and has even been involved in bang jumping for a while. He has an excellent sense of balance, so he can ride steadily in a short time.

When Zheng Sen came out of the back door and rode his bicycle to the street, he asked the book boy to call Wang, Fu and the other three.

At this moment, the three of them seemed to be ten years younger. They were all curiously touching here and there around the bicycle and asking questions.

"Is this a bicycle?"

"It's really made of fine steel!"

"Can Mingyan ride it?"

Zheng Sen smiled and said, "Of course I can ride. Just wait and see."

There were relatively few pedestrians on the street facing the back door. Zheng Sen got on his bicycle and drove away quickly, ringing the bell from time to time to remind pedestrians to give way.

If it weren't for the fact that the hem of the clothes tied around the waist wasn't rolled up to hinder the view, she would look really chic.

"Wonderful! Wonderful!" Li Xiangen couldn't help but applaud and shouted.

When Zheng Sen came back from riding, Li Xiangen immediately suggested a trial ride.

Zheng Sen said, "The street is still narrow and it's not convenient. Why don't we go back to school and ride."

Although Wang Fuzhi was still thinking about returning the books, he didn't want to disturb the interest of several of his bedfellows, so he followed him back to campus.

As for returning and borrowing books, we can only leave them in the future.

When Zheng Sen rode his bicycle into the campus of Nanjing University, many students naturally raised eyebrows and asked questions.

There are many wealthy students in Nanjing University, and many people went to buy bicycles that day.

Perhaps few people are willing to buy the exclusive model, but there are many people who can afford the regular model...
Sunset.

Nanjing Forbidden City.

Liu Sheng came to Kunning Palace again after "getting off work".

I saw the red lady looking through a thin account book with a happy face.

Liu Sheng smiled when he saw it and asked, "The queen is so happy, but the bicycles are selling so well?"

"Your Majesty is wise." The red lady rarely flattered Liu Sheng like some courtiers. "In just two days, the two bicycle stores in Nanjing sold 56 exclusive bicycles and 878 ordinary bicycles! A total of Profit of more than yuan!”

Liu Sheng sat down next to the red lady, put his arm around her slender waist, and said with a smile, "It's indeed quite a lot."

The red lady added, "It is estimated that sales will continue like this for two or three days, and then there will be a sharp drop after a few days."

Obviously, the matchmaker is very clear-headed and knows that a business like bicycles always gets off to a good start.

If people who can sell it and are interested in buying it buy it, then sales will drop sharply.

Liu Sheng said, "You can first open branches in prosperous and wealthy cities, especially big cities such as Yangzhou, Suzhou, and Hangzhou, where there are many rich people."

The red lady nodded, "Your Majesty is right, but I'm afraid the factory's output won't be able to keep up."

"Then expand production capacity."

"What should we do if bicycle sales decrease in the future and the market has overcapacity?" After following Liu Sheng for so long, Red Lady has naturally learned a lot of vocabulary for future generations.

Because some things can only be expressed clearly using the vocabulary of later generations.

Liu Sheng smiled and said, "The market for bicycles is huge. Even if I sell enough bicycles in China, I can still sell them overseas."

"Also, in addition to bicycles, doesn't the bicycle factory also produce rickshaws and horse-drawn carriages?"

"Don't just focus on selling bicycles, you can also sell rickshaws and horse-drawn carriages. They also have a large market."

"In short, with these three types of cars, as long as the production capacity is not expanded too much, there will be no problem."

"Yes." After hearing what Liu Sheng said, the red lady became more confident, "I will ask the people below to make some plans later to see how to expand the production capacity more appropriately."

Liu Sheng thought of cars instead of bicycles.

However, with Da'ei's current steam engine model, even if a car is forcibly produced, it will not be practical.

Not to mention, cars rely more on rubber tires.

Instead of considering steam cars, it is better to consider making steam ships and ironclad ships first...
Two days later.

Liu Sheng once again drove to Longjiang Shipyard for inspection.

This time, the main focus is on the manufacturing progress of the ironclad ship.

With Da'ei's current level of technology and craftsmanship, it is not feasible to directly produce steel battleships. Even the production of ironclad ships is also difficult.

Since Liu Sheng first inspected the Longjiang Shipyard in the first year of Qianyuan, he ordered the formation of an "ironclad ship development team" to carry out technical and technological work one by one.

It was not until this year that all the construction problems of all ironclad ships were overcome. (End of chapter)