Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo' Chapter 1296 612: Withered Oil Cultivator

The Steam Reduction Faction, a civilian scientific organization established at the beginning of this century, is characterized mainly by its dedication to steam retro activities.

The so-called steam retro activities involve using steam age technology to produce modern technological products. They have manufactured steam cars, steam planes, steam computers, and steam radios...

Steam cars, Li Banfeng has seen; steam planes, seen in some historical records; what is steam computer?

Dumpling introduced the principle of the differential machine to Li Banfeng; this mechanical computer, which was never successfully built in history, was successfully manufactured by the Steam Reduction Faction.

This reminded Li Banfeng of the retro craze popular in his university days, where many faculty and students in the mechanical department were keen on restoring ancient mechanical devices, the most typical being the renowned wooden ox and flowing horse.

S, he can understand steam computers, but how to explain the steam radio?

"It's already a radio, why even mention steam?"

Chen Changrui explained: "The steam radio is a nickname for steam communication equipment; unlike modern communication devices, this equipment achieves communication through a network of steam pipes."

Dumpling took out the blueprints for the steam radio; the signal transmitter uses mechanical adjustment doors to control steam pressure, realizing signal transmission through pressure changes.

From the perspective of modern technology, this method of communication, which is bulky, complicated in operation, and has an extremely low tolerance, has almost no value, yet it is a very important achievement for the Steam Reduction Faction.

Li Banfeng reviewed achievements like these from start to finish and concluded: "Their technical capabilities could never create mechanical devices as complex as spherical life forms."

Dumpling did not agree: "These are research results confirmed in history by the Steam Reduction Faction, and over the past three years, we have had limited access to their data, making it difficult to gauge their technological progress."

Li Banfeng asked: "In the past three years, have you not investigated this organization?"

"Our investigation has never stopped; these are the leads we have obtained in three years."

Li Banfeng examined the files; the year before last, in Wuyang Province, a stone distribution plant was reopened, its production efficiency surpassing many surrounding enterprises, and it was once listed as an advanced model by local media for publicity.

"Because this processing plant purchased a large amount of coal, it attracted the attention of colleagues at the Wuyang Branch. They sent people to conduct covert investigations at this plant and discovered that the main equipment of the plant were all steam-driven.

This abnormal technical approach garnered the Wuyang Branch's intense scrutiny, but when they decided to conduct a thorough investigation of this plant, everyone in the plant disappeared."

Li Banfeng didn't quite understand Dumpling's meaning: "Are you saying the boss disappeared or the workers disappeared?"

"Everyone disappeared."

"How many workers did they have? It can't be that all these workers ran away with the boss, right?"

Dumpling took out another document: "According to the relevant registration information of this enterprise, the person in charge is named He Yunfei; indeed, this person is an entrepreneur, and his files and information can be found,

the identities of several key personnel of this plant were also found, but at the time, their whereabouts were not discovered,

aside from them, the identities of over a hundred registered workers at this plant are still undetermined, the identity information registered in the plant is all forged, and these workers' families are untraceable.

According to our speculation, these workers should be akin to humanoid intelligence products, what we commonly call robots."

"Steam robots?"

"What specific type of robots they are, we temporarily cannot deduce, but since they are creations of the Steam Reduction Faction, these robots are most likely steam-driven. This is the news report left by the factory at the time."

Li Banfeng looked at the newspaper; in the newspaper's photos, busy workers stood next to the machine tools, different types of jobs, their working movements and expressions varied.

"These cannot possibly be steam robots." Li Banfeng shook his head and put the newspaper aside.

The "fake people" made in Inner State, in Li Banfeng's opinion, already represent the limits of steam technology, yet these fake people require external devices, including fans, teapots, and steam cars.

Looking again at the workers in this newspaper photo, many of them are working empty-handed, with no visible traces of external equipment. Could it be that three years ago, Steam Reduction Faction already had technology that surpassed Inner State?

Li Banfeng suspected it was fake, but those who investigated the case believed it to be real.

Dumpling listed a few more cases:

The year before last, in Amikan Country, there was an underground clothing processing workshop, its production efficiency exceeding regular factories; after an investigation, the person in charge of this workshop was also He Yunfei.

Last year, in Audrey Country, a construction company purchased tens of thousands of tons of coal in one year; upon investigation, the person in charge of this construction company was also He Yunfei.

...

A series of clues laid bare, proving one thing: He Yunfei is the leader of the Steam Reduction Faction; this organization's technology is powerful, with a widespread distribution.

Dumpling presented the most recent case: "This year, the Steam Reduction Faction was active in Min Yue Province, but at the time, we did not conduct an investigation."

"Why was there no investigation?"

Chuuni replied: "Because there was a war at the time."

That period happened to coincide with the war of Ruirong Textile Factory, temporarily shelving the Steam Reduction Faction's case. When the Min Yue Branch investigated the matter afterward, the Steam Reduction Faction, consistent with its previous behavior, suddenly vanished from the world.