Chapter 208 – Hitting the Bullseye? More Than Just a Hundred Steps! (Part 1)
Normally, Jiang Pengji’s streaming schedule was fixed. She would start her stream right after getting up and washing up in the morning and close it after dinner at night. If there were any special streaming tasks, the timing would adjust accordingly.
It was now a regular streaming hour, and the room was packed with ten thousand audience members.
Occasionally, if someone got bored and left, there would be others flooding in immediately to take their place.
Every spot in this streaming room had to be snatched based on internet speed, quick fingers, and a sprinkle of luck.
【Chiyun】: Compared to those pure, white lotus female leads in dramas, I prefer streamers like her! Especially when her eyes lit up just now; seriously, it felt like being zapped… that indescribable thrill, like being electrified…
【Dancing Butterfly】: I think that feeling is probably pure excitement, right?
When Jiang Pengji’s eyes sparkled, the audience felt it desperately needed some upbeat, passionate background music.
In an instant, it stirred the hearts of others, making every pore wide open.
“Quick, bring me the stuff so I can take a look…”
Jiang Pengji came from an era where war weapons were highly advanced; she had even commanded warships, let alone other portable weapons. Honestly, unless they reached a higher level of interstellar civilization, there wasn’t much that could amaze her.
Clearly, in this technologically backward and socially conservative society, such things were nonexistent.
But she didn’t need them anyway.
In this ancient era, as long as she possessed weapons more advanced than the average level, she had a greater chance of winning.
Why use a sledgehammer to kill a fly?
The improvised crossbow, crafted under her orders by the carpenters, was a bold attempt.
At Jiang Pengji’s encouragement, several craftsmen worked night and day, pouring their efforts into research; they didn’t dare slack off in the slightest.
Seeing her so eagerly pleased, they secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
They presented her with the latest crafted product, and the foreman cautiously watched Jiang Pengji take it, fearful she might hurt herself somehow.
Jiang Pengji’s smile faded as she handled the slightly rough crossbow with a serious expression.
This crossbow was a bit bigger than she expected, three feet three inches long for the body and two feet five inches for the string, dyed a brownish-black color. If she got close enough, she could still smell the strong varnish. It felt hefty in her hands but wasn’t overly heavy, making it fairly portable.
The materials used for its overall construction were all explored by the craftsmen themselves, as Jiang Pengji only provided the data.
To produce a finished product in such a short time, regardless of how the final test result turns out, their attitude deserved praise.
Next to the completed crossbow were about ten blackened arrows of various designs, quite different from typical arrows.
Most of these arrowheads were engraved with blood channels, some even having multiple slots; if they struck the target, it was easy to imagine they’d gnaw deeply into the flesh, pulling out large chunks of skin when removed—a bit gruesome.
But she really liked them.
These arrows were specially designed based on the overall data of the crossbow, intended for this compound weapon.
Each had its strengths, suitable for different terrains and environments.
The length of the crossbow could be adjusted, allowing for the use of various standard arrows to achieve different ranges.
The sight could also be detached due to high damage rates, letting them reduce losses.
However, these modifications also made material selection and construction more challenging.
Jiang Pengji designed this improved crossbow based on many historical documents she had seen and currently active military weapons.
If everything met her data standards, its range and penetrative power would be terrifying!
Among the audience, a few military enthusiasts were already feeling uneasy at the sight of the arrowheads’ blood channels.
【Forever Young General】: Good heavens, if this thing buries itself in flesh, pulling it out would require skinning and breaking bones!
【Crab Roe Bean】: Just looking at it makes me ache! The streamer created something so vicious, it’s terrifying!
【Melon Seeds】: The crossbow the streamer is holding looks quite different from what I’ve seen before.
The foremen watched Jiang Pengji fidgeting with their creation, their expressions remaining mostly neutral, but internally they felt quite anxious.
Was she satisfied?
Or was she not?
While they were nervously pondering, Jiang Pengji set aside the somewhat large crossbow and asked, “Have you tried testing it?”
The foreman shook his head, lowering it in apprehension while saying, “We feared Young Master would be too eager, so each of us took responsibility for a portion, experimenting to figure out suitable materials and finally managed to meet Young Master’s expectations. Once the prototype was established, we rushed it over.”
Though he said so, the craftsmen were confident in their creation.
They had tested countless materials, each responsible for different parts of the crossbow, ensuring the materials matched Jiang Pengji’s data.
“Dividing the work like that? Quite clever, that saves a lot of time.”
Exactly, without such cooperation, it would have been impossible to produce this semi-finished product so quickly.
Indeed, in Jiang Pengji’s eyes, this was merely a semi-finished product, still lacking in several areas, but none of the flaws were major.
It also gave her a preliminary understanding and good impression of the wisdom of the craftsmen in this era.
Even though the technology was immensely backward and societal trends stagnated, it was undeniable they weren’t foolish and possessed a spirit of exploration.
Jiang Pengji provided very detailed design blueprints, giving reference data for every part. Skilled craftsmen could figure it out with enough exploration, but the teamwork among these craftsmen maximized efficiency and saved time…
Truly worthy of instruction!
“I couldn’t take all the credit; without Young Master’s detailed blueprints, even if you gave me ten times the time, I couldn’t produce this thing.”
The foreman didn’t dare take all the credit but instead humbly flattered Jiang Pengji.
She smiled brightly and said, “Why be so formal? I’m not the kind who can’t stand to see others shine. Your accomplishments are your own; you don’t need to be so cautious. You did well this time, but there are still many flaws that need further improvement.”
The foreman sighed in relief, wiping away sweat internally, realizing he had passed this test.
The carpentry workshop under the Liu Residence wasn’t known for excellent production, and the craftsmen wanted to be valued, not just hammering away at uninteresting, unskilled tasks. Even among craftsmen, there were hierarchies, and everyone had aspirations.
Since receiving Young Master’s order, they all perked up, thinking if they did well this time, they wouldn’t have to worry about being overlooked in the future.
With this mindset, they poured all their energy into their work, hoping to catch Jiang Pengji’s attention.
Now, looking at the situation, they had already achieved half their purpose.
“This crossbow stays here for now. I’ll test it out to see where it falls short, and then you can make focused adjustments,” Jiang Pengji stated. “The materials used for the body and the craft needed for production, even the initial blueprints, are all classified information. No one is allowed to disclose them, not even to relatives!”
The craftsmen responded respectfully, “We follow Young Master’s orders.”
