After finishing his mysterious words, he picked up the walkie-talkie.
"Lao Wang, has the workshop sign been dismantled yet?"
"Reporting to His Highness, it's done. This subordinate will drive the vehicle over now."
Soon, Wang Xuance appeared before Liu Yuan and the others, driving a Caterpillar 797.
This vehicle was supposed to arrive with Fang Er earlier, but its immense height was blocked by the workshop sign. They had no choice but to wait for the craftsmen to dismantle the sign.
This was the first time the vehicle had appeared before the workshop craftsmen, and everyone was stunned by its massive size.
But Fang Er smiled slightly, "Don't be shocked yet. The vehicles we'll be building next will be much larger than this!"
The 797's body was less than 15 meters, far from what he desired. Its purpose for being driven here was purely for disassembly.
What he had drawn on paper was merely a schematic, showing only the general outline without many specific measurements.
After all, Fang Er had never seen such a long vehicle in his previous life. He could only provide a rough direction based on his imagination.
The engine didn't need to be built from scratch; it could be directly removed from the 797.
The V24 engine it was equipped with could be taken out and used. Its powerful output of 3400 horsepower and 13635 Newton-meters, while not meeting Fang Er's requirements, was not an insurmountable problem.
If quality was insufficient, quantity would compensate. If one unit was not enough, then two would suffice!
Anyway, the 797 had been unlocked, and each vehicle cost only a hundred taels of silver. He wouldn't even hesitate to use them for land reclamation.
"From now on, half of the craftsmen under Yituo will be assigned to this project."
"You will be grouped according to your current trades. Here are the design requirements!"
"Referencing the double-cabin design of trains, the entire vehicle will be divided into three parts: front, middle, and rear, each 40 meters long!"
"The chassis must be able to bear a load of at least 1500 tons. The number of axles is unlimited, but it must be all-wheel drive and all-wheel steering!"
"The front and rear sections must not only be usable independently when detached but also be able to combine their power when the middle trailer is attached!"
"In simple terms, it needs to meet modular standards!"
The craftsmen listened, looking bewildered. Seeing this, Liu Yuan stepped forward to ask.
"Your Highness, perhaps you could explain what 'modular' means?"
Fang Er took a handful of Lego blocks from his pocket and placed them on the table, casually picking up a few and assembling them.
"It means being able to connect different components together freely, like this."
Upon hearing this, the craftsmen gathered around, each picking up a few blocks to examine.
"I get it. It's like mortise and tenon joints."
"It seems so. It's similar to the Luban lock our master gave us when we were learning the craft."
"No, this is much easier than the Luban lock."
"I understand. We can make the drive shafts with open mortise and tenon joints at both ends, allowing for free assembly!"
"Yes, and we should add locks to the chassis. This way, even when the drive shafts are connected, it will prevent damage to them from the vehicle's swaying during operation."
"We can also~~~~"
Fang Er only gave a slight nudge, and they began to discuss animatedly, with some even taking notes.
Seeing this, Fang Er stood aside with a smile, waiting. Countless great inspirations often arise from such situations.
Therefore, he wished to see such scenes every day.
The craftsmen seemed to have forgotten their original purpose. Their discussions turned into arguments, and eventually, they started cursing each other with their necks extended.
"I'm telling you, your idea won't work. It has to be mine!"
"Nonsense! How can you be so sure yours will work before it's even made?"
"Damn it, if you don't agree, let's fight!"
"Fight my ass! We are craftsmen, not thugs. If we're going to compete, it should be based on our skills!"
"I'll ask His Highness to mediate. If you want to compete, go back and make prototypes to see whose plan is more reliable!"
"Let's compete, and I'll be your judge~"
These individuals argued until their faces turned red, each convinced that their idea was the closest to Fang Er's requirements.
As their tempers flared, they even forgot they were in a meeting and instinctively prepared to head to the workshop to prove their worth through action.
"Cough, cough~"
Fang Er quickly coughed twice to interrupt them. He hadn't finished speaking yet; what was the meaning of them leaving now?
Hearing the sound, the craftsmen finally came to their senses and stopped awkwardly.
"Having ideas is a good thing, and I also want to see whose craftsmanship is more exquisite."
"But shouldn't you wait until I've finished explaining everything?"
"What I just mentioned was only about the chassis. Now, let's talk about the power part."
As he said this, he pointed to the Caterpillar 797 beside them.
"We'll use the existing engines. You'll practice on this vehicle first, dismantle the engine, and later there will be a large number of similar vehicles for you to disassemble."
"What you need to do is to form groups and present the optimal assembly plan you think is best!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the craftsmen present gasped in unison.
A 40-meter vehicle body!
Longer than a train carriage!
And it had to bear a load of up to 1500 tons. This was definitely a challenge!
Looking at the colossal vehicle, several zhang high, they wondered how powerful its engine must be!
Liu Yuan's face flushed, and he trembled with excitement. The challenge alone was thrilling!
"Don't just stand there, get to work!"
"Lao Qi, take your men and prepare calipers, paper, and pens."
"Liu Zi, prepare the tools and let's dismantle the vehicle."
A group of craftsmen immediately bustled about.
The magnificent Caterpillar 797 was like a peerless beauty, surrounded by them, about to have its layers of clothing stripped away.
Fang Er sat at the workbench, his right hand tapping the surface in a rhythmic manner with his five fingers, resembling the sound of hooves. His left hand supported his chin as he watched them work with a smile.
Active, enthusiastic, and eager to be first.
Dedicated, invested, and focused on innovation.
They had become qualified craftsmen. Compared to himself, they only lacked a bit of insight. Given enough time, anything was possible.
Suddenly, he thought of something. He casually picked up a piece of paper and quickly wrote a few lines, handing it to Wang Xuance.
"Go and tell Lai Yifa to send this to Zhang Xiaomi and have them build the items according to the requirements."
Working on trees several meters thick was too labor-intensive for manual labor. In the telegram, he briefly explained the principle of a woodworking table saw. As long as Zhang Xiaomi followed his instructions, there shouldn't be any major issues.
Afterward, he opened his system panel, searching for anything he could utilize.