Just as Ming was using every method to steal the Empire’s technology, Europe was doing the same in Suez.

“Various steam-powered machinery is coming in from the Empire. Let’s mobilize scholars to understand their structure and operating principles.”

The Alliance’s monarchs made this decision and dispatched scholars to Suez.

Though they were drafted, the professors’ expressions weren’t bad at all.

“This is a great opportunity!”

“We can finally examine them properly this time!”

The professors had their own calculations.

-The equipment they had seen directly in the Empire before, or through records, was quite large.

-Given that they’re made entirely of steel, not just their size but their weight must be considerable.

-While the Empire’s transport ships are certainly large, it’s impossible to transport such equipment whole. They’ll naturally transport them disassembled.

-Since they’re transporting them disassembled, there will naturally be an assembly process on site. If we observe this carefully, we can examine the mechanical structure and operating principles in more detail.

With these calculations in mind, the professors packed their bags without hesitation.

***

The professors arrived in Suez earlier than the scheduled arrival date of the Empire’s transport ships. They examined data collected by the railway construction survey team and toured the pre-prepared assembly hall site while waiting for the transport ships to arrive.

“They’re here!”

“Ships from the Land of Flowers have arrived!”

At the people’s shouts from the harbor, the professors who had been eagerly awaiting the ships’ arrival rushed to the dock as if flying.

When they reached the dock, unloading was in full swing from the Empire’s transport ships.

“Huh?”

“What?”

The professors stopped in their tracks when they saw the laborers filling their view.

“Why are they just watching from here?”

The laborers, who would normally be clinging to the ships unloading cargo large and small, were just spectating in front of the vessels.

“Just why…”

Unable to contain their curiosity, the professors pushed through the laborers to move forward. The professors who made it to the front gaped at the scene before them.

Tweet! Tweet!

“Pull! Pull!”

“That’s it! That’s it!”

“Stop! Stop!”

Imperial citizens were unloading equipment from the transport ships while vigorously blowing whistles held in their mouths and waving red signal flags.

Following their hand signals and whistle sounds, the cranes attached to the sailing ships were unloading small equipment – though still boasting the size of two carts.

These pieces of equipment were mobile cranes and traction engines equipped with small steam engines.

****

What made not only the laborers but also the professors gape was the unloading and assembly process of the small cranes.

Even though they were called small, they were still sizeable, so the main body and the steel cable-equipped arm were unloaded separately.

First, when the main body was unloaded, technicians who had disembarked earlier combined the main body and arm with practiced movements. Thanks to the ship’s crane holding and lifting the arm, the assembly of the body and arm proceeded smoothly.

After completing the most important step of connecting the steel cables, the technicians started the steam engine.

Hiss! Hiss! Chug-chug!

As the small crane, now able to move with proper steam pressure, moved aside, another small crane’s main body was lowered from the cargo ship.

This process occurred simultaneously at two cargo ships docked at the pier. As the number of operational small cranes increased, the unloading speed gradually increased.

After the unloading and activation of the small cranes was complete, the traction engines were unloaded next.

The traction engines, which had already been started inside the ships, moved to one side as soon as they were brought ashore, followed by the unloading of large carts they would pull.

By the time the unloading of small cranes and traction engines was complete, the sun had already set halfway.

“That’s it for today!”

“Move the cranes and traction engines to the temporary garage!”

Following the foreman’s orders, the cranes and traction engines moved to a tent erected on one side.

Meanwhile, the interpreter informed the gathered laborers.

“There will be lots of work starting tomorrow, so come early!”

“Yes!”

The laborers responded to the interpreter’s call and left the dock in small groups.

****

After the work ended, the professors sought out the person in charge.

“We’d like to examine the cranes and traction engines.”

“You need permission.”

The supervisor flatly refused, but the professors persisted tenaciously.

“Come on, don’t be like that, let us just take a look!”

“Just a quick look! Very quick!”

“I said no!”

At the supervisor’s refusal, one of the professors pulled out a heavy purse from his chest.

“Don’t be like that, take this and let us look for just a moment.”

Seeing the attempt to bribe him, the supervisor’s face turned bright red as he shouted.

“Are you trying to get me sent to the Office of Records! Get out! Guards! Remove these people!”

The professors, dragged out by the guards who came at the supervisor’s call, clicked their tongues.

“That was such a good opportunity…”

“What a shame, what a shame.”

The professors, unable to hide their disappointment, soon turned their thoughts in a positive direction.

“They haven’t unloaded the large equipment yet, right? Let’s aim for that time.”

“That’s a good idea.”

The professors steeled their resolve to wait for the next opportunity.

Meanwhile, various conversations were occurring among the supervisors who had chased away the professors.

“Do you think they’ll give up?”

“Not at all. Didn’t you see those people’s eyes earlier? They looked almost mad.”

“This is worrying.”

As one supervisor muttered in a voice full of concern, another colleague reassured him.

“Weren’t we prepared for some degree of disclosure anyway? Our job is just to delay that timing as much as possible. Besides, even if they look, would they really understand properly? Haven’t we already prepared for that level of defense?”

“That’s true.”

The supervisors nodded with somewhat relieved expressions.

***

Meanwhile, a serious conversation was taking place where the equipment operators and maintenance personnel had gathered.

“What’s with this sand…”

“I didn’t believe when they said that despite sand being everywhere, we’d have to use sand from the beach… sigh“

The technicians all nodded at the complaint filled with sighs.

One of the biggest challenges in this construction was the sand used in making mortar.

The sand spread throughout the desert was completely useless for construction. The particles were too small, small enough to be blown away by wind.

Therefore, to do proper construction, they had to use sand from the beach.

The problem was the salt content in that sand. Salt was mortar’s greatest enemy.

As a result, the first thing to build when construction began would be freshwater production facilities. The freshwater in and around the Suez area contained very high levels of limestone, which wasn’t good for steam engines.

Thus, they would first build facilities to produce freshwater for steam engines and desalination work.

“That freaking sand isn’t the only problem. We’ll need more graphite powder and castor oil than expected.”

The Empire had created various equipment using steam engines. Lubricants were essential for parts made of steel and various metals to move smoothly.

Graphite was the first lubricant used for this purpose. Finely ground into minute powder, graphite was perfect as a lubricant and withstood high temperatures well.

As a result, graphite was widely used as a lubricant wherever machinery was needed.

However, graphite had the problem of being weak against moisture.

Therefore, castor oil emerged as a solution to this issue.

Castor oil was an excellent lubricant. It withstood high temperatures well and didn’t solidify at low temperatures. It didn’t dry quickly even when exposed to air and didn’t deteriorate.

Thanks to these characteristics, castor oil became the optimal lubricant for use in places with high moisture – the sea being the best example.

As castor oil gained popularity this way, farmers caught an unexpected opportunity for additional income.

They began earning extra income by growing castor plants between their regular farming.

And both graphite powder and castor oil were also products that had Emperor Hyang’s seasoning added.

***

One of the biggest topics in the 21st century was environmentalism.

“Lubricants refined from crude oil aren’t environmentally friendly. So what did they use as lubricants before refined lubricants came out?”

Curiosity piqued, Hyang searched not only the internet but also library books.

“Let’s see… As expected, animal fats. Especially whale oil was widely used. But from environmental and animal protection perspectives, this is out. Same goes for things like pig fat.”

As he delved into materials and researched extensively, Hyang soon found a decent answer.

“Graphite and castor oil… hooh…”

And after reincarnating, when the lubricant problem arose, he presented graphite and castor oil as the solution.

And Sejong, the ministers, and the craftsmen all nodded.

“As expected!”

****

Just as the managers in charge of heavy equipment worried, the professors moved persistently.

And that persistence soon received its reward.

Large assembly facilities were needed to assemble the large heavy equipment that was crucial to construction.

For this, the Empire built a large structure near the dock.

Thick, sturdy steel pillars and beams were erected, with metal tracks running between them. And on those tracks hung large, sturdy pulleys and thick iron chains.

The heavy equipment parts unloaded from ships and loaded onto traction engines would be assembled at this facility.

Because it was quite a large site, there were gaps here and there, and the professors found opportunities to examine the inside of the heavy equipment by exploiting these gaps.

“Damn it all!”

However, the professors examining the parts could only curse.

This was because all the parts composing the heavy equipment were in semi-assembled box units – modules.

It would become a finished product just by placing the necessary parts boxes in designated positions and connecting them with power transmission parts or joining components.

Special tools were needed to see the internal structure they really wanted to examine. And those tools were managed with the strictest control over their entry and exit.

The number taken out had to exactly match the number returned, and the identity of the person taking them out and the serial numbers engraved on the tools were recorded each time.

The professors tried to use bribes again, but everyone from the bottom-level technicians to the upper-level executives firmly refused.

“If we get caught taking bribes here, not only will all our property be confiscated, but regardless of social status, we’ll have to bury our bones in the Office of Records!”

The infamy of the Office of Records was already well known to everyone in the Empire.

In the end, the professors could only grind their teeth and curse.

“Who came up with such a damnably cunning method!”

“Who created the Office of Records! Good heavens, refusing bribes because they’re afraid of the Office of Records!”

At the same time, Hyang, who was in Gyeongbok Palace, picked his ear while muttering.

“Ah, my ears are itching! Who’s cursing me so much?”