Qianye’s praise was heartfelt—he was already quite astonished when he saw the craftsmanship. After actually kneading it, however, he realized that the alloy was firm but pliable, and extremely resistant to wear—a rare specimen through and through. The value of this metal was far above its processing arts and could form some of the most important core mechanical components.

Song Zining recovered from his initial shock at this point. “Once these samples reach the families of Seagaze, they should realize that they have no chance of competing with Ningyuan for the next 50 years. It’s fine if they cooperate obediently, but if they want to cause trouble for us, we’ll decimate their entire clan once the ship is completed.”

Qianye didn’t understand the manufacture of machinery, but the Zhao clan workshops he had visited once left a deep impression on him. It also gave him a basic understanding of the process. Song Zining’s pinion was of rare craftsmanship, but the real value lay in its alloy formula.

With this type of alloy, numerous key engine components could be made smaller and lighter. One could easily imagine...