The problem of electricity requires building a power station.
Right now we have coal and steam engines.
Which means thermal power generation is possible.
Wu Liang arrived at the steam engine workshop of the Military Workshop.
At this moment the workshop was a swirling inferno of heat.
A massive steam hammer was rhythmically pounding red-hot ingots, filling the air with deafening roars.
Suina wore only a leather halter, her skin beaded with sweat.
She was directing the Artisans as they sent a forged steel plate into the quenching pool.
Ssssshhhhh—
A cloud of white steam billowed up, carrying the sharp scent of hot metal.
Nice work!
Wu Liang stepped forward.
Wu Liang, you're here.
Suina casually wiped the sweat from her face.
I need you for something—come here.
Wu Liang called Suina and several top Artisans into the workshop office, then sketched a simple waterwheel on the blackboard.
What's this?
Wu Liang asked.
A waterwheel. We finished it recently and now use it to grind flour.
An Artisan replied.
Exactly. The water pushes the wheel, the wheel turns the millstone, and the millstone grinds the wheat into flour.
Wu Liang nodded.
That's us harnessing the power of water.
Next he drew a steam engine.
This is a steam engine.
We burn coal, boil water to make steam, the steam drives a piston, and the piston moves the forging hammer.
Wu Liang continued.
This is us harnessing the power of steam.
The Artisans all nodded; they knew these things intimately, having built them with their own hands.
Then Wu Liang drew a third device beside them.
A simple coil with a rotatable magnet rod through its center.
Now I'm introducing something new—electricity.
Wu Liang pointed at the diagram.
When this rock, called a lodestone, spins inside the copper coil, it produces what's called electricity.
Lodestone?
Suina leaned in, curious.
Wu Liang pulled two prepared lodestones from his coat.
He placed one on the stone table and slowly brought the other near.
To the Artisans' amazement, the first stone twitched, then snapped tightly to the second.
Wu Liang flipped one over; the stones repelled each other, refusing to meet.
Is this magic?
An Artisan asked.
Not magic—magnetism.
Wu Liang smiled.
We'll use a steam engine to spin a huge lodestone inside countless copper coils at high speed.
That will give us a steady flow of electricity!
I need large amounts of copper—and a machine that can draw copper into wire as thin as hair.
Wu Liang looked at Suina.
We've already mined plenty of copper ore.
Suina, I need you to build a machine that can draw the finest copper wire.
No problem!
Suina thumped her chest.
But I'll need some time.
Of course.
Suina and her team then pored over drawings for a wire-drawing machine day and night.
The principle was simple: pull a copper rod through steel dies of decreasing diameter until it became hair-thin.
The key was the dies' hardness and precision.
Fortunately, the Tribe now had high-quality steel and steam-powered lathes; making precise dies was difficult but doable.
Half a month and countless failures later, the first steam-driven wire-drawing machine was finished.
A rough copper rod entered one end, passed through a succession of dies,
and emerged from the other end as a neat coil of uniform wire.
Soon even more precise dies were produced, and the drawing process grew more sophisticated.
When a coil of hair-thin copper wire was presented to Wu Liang, the first prerequisite for power generation was met.
Meanwhile, at the textile workshops, lacquer and hemp thread were carefully wrapped around the copper to create the earliest insulated conductors.
With everything ready, Wu Liang had Suina forge a huge steel coil frame, and the lodestone was prepared.
Today you'll witness what electricity is.
Wu Liang stood before all the Artisans who had joined the project.
In front of him sat a crude but faithfully built hand-cranked generator fixed to a heavy wooden base.
A brass coil surrounded an iron shaft connected to a crank; a natural lodestone was fixed to the shaft.
Two silk-wrapped copper wires led from the coil and stretched aside.
Everyone held their breath in a circle, eyes shining with curiosity.
Who wants to try?
Wu Liang asked with a smile.
An Artisan volunteered:
I'll do it!
Good.
Wu Liang pointed to the two exposed wire ends where the insulation had been stripped.
Grip each of these wires with your hands.
Huh?
The Artisan hesitated.
Don't worry—it's safe.
Wu Liang encouraged.
The man hesitated, then clutched the bare wire ends tightly.
Hold on.
Wu Liang placed his hand on the crank and began to turn it slowly.
The crank spun the lodestone inside the coil.
One turn, two turns... the Artisan felt nothing and simply watched.
Wu Liang's mouth curled slightly; he suddenly sped up!
Ahh!
The Artisan yelped, jerking his hands away and shaking them frantically.
Tingling... my hands! So numb!
He grimaced in shock and discomfort.
The surrounding Artisans froze, then burst into laughter.
Hahaha, what's wrong—get stung by a bee?
Look at him—like he's seen a ghost!
The man shook his hands again; the prickling faded, and he stared at the wires in bewilderment.
It wasn't... it's hard to describe.
Like countless tiny needles stabbing my hands, racing through my body—so numb I nearly jumped!
That's electricity.
Wu Liang stopped cranking and explained.
It's a flowing force.
When it passes through your body, you feel numb.
If the current is strong enough, it can kill in an instant.
The laughter died instantly.
The Artisans regarded the unimpressive machine and the thin copper wires with new awe.
Moments ago they'd found it funny; now they respected it.
Suina stepped forward and gingerly touched the wire end.
Feeling nothing, she picked up the generator and studied its structure.
Just spinning this can create such power?
She still found it incredible.
This is only the weakest electricity.
Wu Liang said.
But it proves the principle works.
Next, we'll make this force give us light.
Light?
Everyone's attention snapped back.
Wu Liang had a table brought over and took a glass object from a wooden box.
It was a round glass bulb shaped like a pear.
A tiny glass tip sealed the top; the bottom was fixed to a brass base with spiral patterns.
Through the transparent glass one could see two thin metal wires
joined at the top by a black, coiled filament finer than a hair.
Isn't this the thing we made recently—the light bulb?