R&D Base
If asked to evaluate Sumeru, Shen Qin would say it has a second-rate political system, a top-tier Akasha Terminal, and an unparalleled academic environment.
No matter how corrupt the Akademiya's higher-ups are, no matter how fiercely the academic elites monopolize knowledge, or how dependent scholars are on the Akasha, the Akademiya has still produced countless groundbreaking achievements since its founding, achievements that have deeply influenced and transformed Teyvat's alchemical systems.
The God of Wisdom, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, recognized the importance of talent long ago, which is why the Akademiya was established and flourished.
But could it be said that she alone upheld the entire Akademiya? No. What upheld it were the countless scholars who devoted themselves to research.
"So why can't we build our research base into another 'Akademiya'? These alchemists will become the backbone of the base. Relying solely on me, Albedo, Sucrose, and Lisa, our perspectives are limited. Only with more talent can we truly advance alchemy."
Shen Qin's words struck a chord with Diluc. He wasn't an alchemist and had never considered things from this angle, but now he understood the importance of nurturing talent.
"I see. I'll do my best to recruit more alchemists in the coming days!" Diluc was fired up. He could already envision the research base's glorious future, and the more achievements it produced, the more Mora the Dawn Winery would earn!
But he had another important matter to discuss with Shen Qin.
"Since the alliance between Liyue and Mondstadt, cross-border trade has expanded rapidly. The flow of people and goods has intensified. The Knights of Favonius even collaborated with the Dawn Winery to transport a batch of blast guns and gliding boards to Liyue. But a round trip takes over a month."
"Using gliding boards, you can reach Liyue Harbor from Mondstadt City in just two days—but you can't carry much cargo. The problem is, the most frequent travelers between the two cities are merchants who need to transport large quantities of goods, and the wilderness is crawling with dangerous monsters."
"So I'm asking you to find a solution, something to make long-distance transport faster and safer."
Hearing this, Shen Qin's first thought was: cars. They'd be far more convenient than Teyvat's current human or animal-drawn carts.
Besides, there were already well-trodden dirt roads between Mondstadt and Liyue. Though rough and uneven in places, they were more than sufficient for vehicles.
All they needed was to widen narrow sections, smooth out sharp turns, reinforce a few bridges, and equip the vehicles with off-road tires suited for dirt and rocky paths. Problem solved, right?
But should they go all out and build smoother concrete roads across Teyvat? Or develop terrain-ignoring flying vehicles?
Shen Qin needed to think carefully.
As for why they couldn't just use waterways… Well, the Port of Dornman hadn't been unlocked yet! If it were, he'd be designing cruise ships instead.
"Got it. I'll figure something out," he told Diluc.
No sooner had Diluc left than the "lucky volunteer" alchemist—previously "recruited" for testing, delivered twenty cleric-exclusive smart bracelets. Shen Qin spent some time tweaking the bracelets' embedded systems, then stuffed them into a bag along with a manual and tossed it to Haro. "Take these to the cathedral."
He no longer worried about letting Haro roam freely.
The Abyss Order had retreated from Mondstadt and wouldn't target him for now. As for the Fatui, without La Signora around, they were behaving themselves under the watch of the Skyshield and sentry systems. Plus, they were still in the honeymoon phase of cooperation.
Aside from these two factions, no one in Mondstadt had any reason to harm him.
While Haro ran errands, Shen Qin stayed in the alchemy workshop, pondering the transport issue.
He first dismissed road construction—Teyvat's road-building technology was underdeveloped. The average cost per kilometer could reach 4 million Mora, with construction taking three to four days per kilometer!
If he poured all his funds into it, he might barely cover 300 kilometers… and it'd take two and a half years to complete. And the distance between Mondstadt City and Liyue Harbor? Over 1,000 kilometers. At that rate, they'd be building forever!
Infrastructure projects were never quick.
Flying vehicles? Also impractical.
The suspension system of a hoverboard maxed out at 1 ton of cargo—but only at low speeds in auto-follow mode. If the speed increased to 50 or even 150 km/h, the load capacity dropped to 300 kg.
Linking ten suspension systems could support 3 tons, but the vehicle's own weight might consume 1 ton, leaving a paltry 2 tons for cargo.
And the market price? Likely 500,000 Mora or more—far beyond what small merchants could afford. Even for large trading companies, the cost-efficiency was questionable.
What was the point of developing a product that couldn't turn a profit?
As for the suspension system he'd modified for the "Sun's Annihilator," it could lift 20 tons and maintain 50 km/h—but only because he'd integrated Chaos Cores into the energy structure.
But Chaos Cores were non-replicable and extremely rare. Using them for cargo transport would be absurdly wasteful.
What about replica Gnoses as an energy source? Please. Those were even more advanced than Chaos Cores. A single replica Gnosis could power a flying fortress larger than the Jade Chamber.
That'd be like using a cannon to kill a mosquito—utter overkill.
Which left only one option: traditional wheeled trucks.
For power, they could ditch gasoline (non-renewable and polluting) in favor of Teyvat's clean energy sources. To counter monster threats, the vehicles would need enhanced defenses.
Given Teyvat's rough terrain, the machine will need larger tires, raised chassis, a lower center of gravity and an increase of weight for stability
As Shen Qin listed the design requirements, he couldn't shake the feeling he'd seen something similar before—maybe in a movie or game from his past life.
But since he couldn't recall, he shelved the thought and turned to the research base.
The base would require vast land, and since manufacturing large transport vehicles would also demand a sizable factory, Shen Qin decided to combine the two—building a massive R&D complex outside Mondstadt City, with room for future expansion into the wilds.
Such a project needed the Knights' approval, so Shen Qin drafted a proposal and submitted it to Jean.
"An R&D Base? What's that?"
Jean was clearly unfamiliar with the term.
Shen Qin explained: "Think of it as a miniature city integrating R&D and manufacturing, housing cutting-edge industries, heavy machinery production, and more. Concentrating all related industries in one location creates synergistic effects, reducing costs and boosting efficiency while nurturing R&D talent."
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T/N - My bad forgot to update. (─.─||）