The Empress's Gigolo

Chapter 570: The Steam Engine Has Finally Been Completed

A while later, he had someone carry the box with the robot in it and had them follow him to the school. Even though his current image was a little damaging to his prestige as a great teacher, this was something that couldn’t be helped.

When Ren Baqian arrived, all of the students were already present. The students were discussing the new teacher who would be here today as well as why Yagui was late.

Since this academy had been founded, this was the first time he was late.

Many of them guessed that it probably had something to do with the new teacher.

When Ren Baqian arrived at the academy with a splint on his arm, all the students looked at him a little strangely.

Ren Baqian spent every day in the palace, and nobody dared to offend someone with his status. Why would his arm be broken? Needless to say, he had most likely been hit by the empress…

The student’s image of Ren Baqian immediately turned into that of a victim of domestic violence… Yeah, everyone loved what they saw and was delighted.

“Open up the box.” Ren Baqian had the bodyguards open the box, revealing a white and blue armored body, a Gundam! ¹

It was around two meters tall and weighed around 80 kilograms, which was roughly the same as that of a normal human. The weight came mostly from its core, whereas the exterior was made up of a layer of steel frames and galvanized iron sheets.

When Ren Baqian pressed a button at the back of the robot’s head. It produced a sound similar to that of a computer as its eyes glowed blue.

“This will be your teacher in the future. Get to know it,” Ren Baqian said.

“My name is Gundam,” the robot said in a digital voice as it stood up slowly from its original knee-hugging position.

“What beautiful armor!” many students immediately exclaimed in admiration.

“Teacher, is he a human?” Some of them grew puzzled because Gundam’s movements were weird and rigid. No matter which angle one looked at it from, this wasn’t merely an issue of the armor plating.

Even though these students had no idea what a robot was, it was easy for them to realize that this thing didn’t have the slightest bit of vitality.

“Regardless of whether it is human or not, it’s still your teacher, and it can answer your questions. As such, you are required to respect it as your teacher,” Ren Baqian addressed everyone from the podium.

“Now, you may ask some questions that you faced during your learning process and allow it to answer.”

As Ren Baqian said that, everyone had a sudden realization. It seemed like this thing indeed wasn’t human.

Yet, with a body full of armor plating, what exactly was it?

Half a day had passed without any lectures in order to allow these students to ask Gundam any questions they had, and it utilized the information stored in its database to answer them.

After Ren Baqian observed for quite some time, he knew what was going on.

Due to the circumstances of not having internet connectivity, Gundam had lost a huge part of its ability to learn. It answered questions in a very rigid manner, and these answers were all based on the information that was stored beforehand in its database, which consisted of textbooks and some articles from various sources. However, the good thing about it was that it was able to list out examples to explain the questions.

As such, even though it wasn’t lively enough, it was sufficient for present usage.

Gundam didn’t move an inch the entire morning. It wouldn’t exhaust too much power just by answering questions and still had 30 percent of its battery life left when school ended.

During this morning, many students were excited, but puzzled at the same time.

Such a novelty teacher would naturally excite the students. As for their puzzlement, they realized the interactions between them and Gundam felt totally unintellectual and stiff. However, it was still able to answer so many of their questions that it made them feel very perplexed. Even after school had ended, they still continued to circle around it, touching its outer shell.

“Leave, all of you. This is your teacher, and you must show it the respect that it deserves as your teacher. Is it proper for everyone to be touching it? Do you think that you’re at a brothel?” Ren Baqian chased them back with an angry face.

Ren Baqian had someone move Gundam into another house. Just as he entered, Li Fu followed behind in a flash.

He sized Gundam up with a curious look and asked, “What’s this?”

Ren Baqian pondered for a moment and answered, “It can be considered a supplementary instrument.”

“It’s rather interesting that this thing can actually speak and respond. If not for its lack of vitality, I would have really wondered what kind of species it was. However, it is indeed pretty amazing to have been able to build such a thing!” Li Fu exclaimed in admiration. Needless to say, this thing wasn’t able to trick the students, let alone the world’s number one expert, Li Fu.

“I’m curious about how this thing actually speaks and answers questions?” Li Fu walked a few circles around the robot, reached out his big and dirty hands, and touched it all over.

“If senior were to stay in Dayao throughout, you will be able to find out in the future how this is possible.” Ren Baqian laughed. “When will you teach me the [Godly Strike], senior?”

Ptui! Li Fu spat out immediately and asked, “Where’s the Heaven that you promised me? None of what you said was real, you youngster!”

“I can’t possibly produce that thing as and when I like, right? Preparation is already underway, and it shall be completed in a few more months,” Ren Baqian explained again and again.

“I shall wait then. If you still continue to create a mess every day, I will create trouble for you.” After Li Fu was done talking, he pondered for a little before touching the robot for the last time and leaving the house while looking impressed.

Ren Baqian mulled over it for a while after Li Fu left. With Ren Baqian’s current strength, it should be sufficient enough for him to bring a hot air balloon back to this world. However, it wasn’t entirely impossible to make one over here as well. If the possibility existed, he hoped to produce things here in this world. After all, technology would only gradually improve if things worked in this manner. If Ren Baqian even needed to bring back something like a hot air balloon, then it would defeat the purpose of advancing this world technologically.

With regard to the materials, this aspect would be rather simple—any fabric that was sturdy enough would do. In any case, he wasn’t going to build a hot air balloon that would travel to space. It would suffice if it could take Li Fu up for a spin in the sky.

The main problem lay in how air-tight the hot air balloon would be. In order to achieve this effect, Ren Baqian would be required to search for a rubber-like substance here in this world and apply a layer of such a substance over the fabric.

Going at it as soon as he got the idea, Ren Baqian immediately went to the Ministry of Works to look for Tong Zhenye’s help to find a material similar to rubber.

Over the next few days, even though there hadn’t been much progress in terms of the rubber issue, that bunch of blockhead students had finally managed to produce a decent steam engine at school. Although it was a primitive type of steam engine that was used to fetch water, this was already considered groundbreaking progress.

At the very least, it was a reciprocating force machine that was able to convert the heat energy from steam into mechanical energy. That this had happened in this world was already considered a very important first step.

Ren Baqian immediately got the empress and the imperial officials to come to the Black Bamboo Academy to look at the achievement of these students.

Upon hearing that the court officials and the empress would be coming, many of the students were so excited that their faces flushed.

Besides Tong Lan and Shi Gan, the other students were either commoners or people with low standing in their families. They were considered forsaken people before they entered the school.

When else had they been regarded with such importance? Not only the empress, but even all the officials of the imperial court would be coming.

Not to blame them for placing the empress behind the officials, but it was simply too easy a task for Ren Baqian to invite the empress over. In fact, they felt more highly regarded because all the officials would be there.

“Alright, don’t be looking all sick here and acting as if you’ve just taken medication. They will be here in a moment, and you guys shall put on a good show. If you screw this up… You know the consequences!” Ren Baqian swept his gaze across the flagpoles outside. “You’ll be hung up there and shot at for five minutes.”