Magic? My Iron Torrent will sweep it all away!

Chapter 21 New Problems Arise

Seeing the effects of Lin Mo's crossbow, the elves' enthusiasm was like a parched forest being ignited, and the entire camp was in an uproar.

But this enthusiasm lasted for less than half a day.

Lin Mo was sitting with his legs crossed on a large, smooth rock, crunching on a crisp, honeyed fruit, a specialty of the elves, while keeping track of the time.

Before the parts for this first batch of weapons are even complete, the demon army might come knocking to collect heads.

That would be a huge joke.

Just then, a commotion and a heated argument came from the workshop not far away.

Immediately afterward, Fendona and Master Eld walked over quickly, one after the other, their faces full of anxiety.

"Lord Lin Mo!"

Master Eld, as if holding a pile of scrap metal, dumped all the metal parts he was holding onto the stone table with a "clatter," his old face contorting into a bitter expression.

"We...we can't build it."

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow, flicked the gnawed fruit pit backward, tracing a perfect parabola.

"What's wrong? Are the blueprints too complicated to understand?"

"No, we've already studied the blueprints thoroughly!" Fendona interrupted, her slender fingers poking around in the pile of parts, her tone filled with helplessness and frustration.

"The problem is, we can't manufacture them in 'mass'."

Lin Mo: ? ? ?

Seeing that Lin Mo didn't seem to understand, Master Eld picked up two gears that were exactly the same in appearance, luster, and weight, and handed them to Lin Mo.

"Look, this was crafted by me and my best disciple using the same piece of refined gold, strictly adhering to the dimensions on the blueprints. But..."

He picked up one of the gears and easily inserted it into the pulley system of a compound bow. The gear turned smoothly and without any resistance.

perfect.

Then he tried another one, but only managed to insert half of it. It was as if it was blocked by an invisible wall, stuck tightly, unable to go in or pull out.

"Every craftsman's hands are unique." Master Eld's old face turned bright red.

"This subtle difference, in the making of traditional bows and arrows, is the mark of the craftsman's soul, a unique art!"

"Used in these sophisticated weapons... it's a damn pile of shit!"

The old master was so emotional that he even swore.

"We gathered ten of our best craftsmen, who worked tirelessly all afternoon, only to successfully assemble five repeating crossbows!"

"And those composite bows, when the string is fully drawn, the whole bow makes a 'creaking' sound, as if it's about to fall apart at any moment! Who would dare to use them?"

"I'm afraid I'll be shot dead by the bow's arm before I even kill the enemy!"

Lin Mo understood instantly.

The "art" that handicraft workshops were so proud of collided head-on with the cold "standards" of industrialization and was shattered to pieces.

These CPUs with long ears never had any low-level code for "tolerances" or "parts interchangeability" written into them.

In their worldview, every weapon must be made by a craftsman from start to finish, and the key to the relationship between the parts is "fitting in," "fate," and an ethereal "feeling."

"Your problem is not a technical problem."

Lin Mo put his legs down, stood up, and looked around at the two of them.

"It's a matter of mindset."

Just kidding. He's an outstanding young man who has received nine years of compulsory education and worked on an assembly line. If he can't see through this, he'd be a disgrace to the red scarf he wears.

"Thought?"

Fendona and Eld were both stunned, and spoke in unison.

"Yes, ideas."

Lin Mo casually picked up the two "identical" gears on the table and weighed them in his hand.

"In your eyes, these are two independent works of art, each imbued with your heart and soul."

Master Eld nodded subconsciously, a trace of pride belonging to a top craftsman still lingering on his face.

The next second, Lin Mo released his hand expressionlessly.

"Clang!"

The two gears slammed back onto the stone table with a crisp, piercing sound.

"In my eyes, they are two failed industrial wastes."

"Garbage?!"

Master El-De was struck dumb, completely stunned.

This word is a million times more insulting than calling him a useless old man to his face!

"Yes, garbage." Lin Mo confirmed without any politeness, pointing to the two gears with his finger.

"Because they are not interchangeable!"

"If a weapon breaks down on the battlefield, you can't even take a part from another broken weapon to revive it."

"What's this called? Is it a disposable item?"

"This means that every time you need repairs, you have to find the original manufacturer or a more skilled technician to custom-make a new part for you on-site."

"Anyone who didn't know better might think you're doing key duplication. Do you need keys made? How many do you need?"

"With this kind of efficiency, even the slowest tortoise would have to come over and give you a thumbs up, praising you as a 'peer'."

Fendona, being incredibly clever, immediately seized upon the lightning bolt that pierced the darkness amidst the chaos.

"You mean... every single part made by all the craftsmen must be...exactly perfect?"

"That's right!" Lin Mo snapped his fingers.

"It's not about 'looking' the same; it's about measuring with a ruler and calipers. Every piece of data must be within an acceptable margin of error. That's called 'standardization,' understand?"

"This...how is this possible?" Master Eld exclaimed in disbelief. "By the Queen! Everyone's touch, strength, and even breathing are different. How could they possibly achieve exactly the same result?"

"So, stop believing your presbyopia and calloused hands."

Lin Mo glanced at the elven craftsmen in the workshop who were still using ancient methods and looking devout, and shook his head.

"What you need are molds, fixtures, and a standardized process that can train even an idiot into a qualified worker."

"Instead of some bullshit 'craftsmanship' or that vague 'artistic inspiration'!"

These words struck like an invisible hammer blow to the hearts of all the onlooker elven craftsmen.

Our pride, passed down for tens of thousands of years... is utter bullshit?

Fendona's face showed no sign of offense; instead, it shone with a dazzling light.

She felt as if a door to a new world was slowly opening before her.

Behind the door was a way of thinking she had never imagined, completely different from the thousands of years of tradition of the Elven race—powerful, efficient, ruthless, and fascinating.

"Lin Mo..."

Fendona's voice carried a hint of barely suppressed excitement and trembling.

"Can you... teach us? That 'standardization'?"

Lin Mo grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

"These are minor issues."

It's just calipers and vernier scales, plus a few standard molds, simple.

Fendona's eyes shone even brighter, like the two most dazzling stars in the night sky. She looked at Lin Mo with anticipation, waiting for his next lesson.

Lin Mo also looked at Fendona, his eyes full of encouragement.

Fendona blinked and continued looking at Lin Mo.

Lin Mo blinked and continued looking at Fendona.

Fendona: ? ? ?