Chapter Seven: He Chong'an's Greatest Advantage

"One thousand taels of silver wouldn't even be enough to buy this."

He Zhongan was stunned. He examined the broken pocket watch closely, noticing the gold and silver inlays used for decoration, the intricate patterns, and the embedded rubies and emeralds.

It was only then that he realized: what he held in his hands was likely the pinnacle of luxury for this era.

His heart began to pound. *I think I’ve found my advantage,* he thought.

In ancient times, the best way to get ahead was to master literature and martial arts, then sell one's services to the imperial court—to become an official. And when it came to officialdom, there were only two paths: the civil and the military.

Since entering the Wuning Marquis's estate, He Zhongan had pondered this deeply. He did not want to join the military; it was too slow. His identity was like a Sword of Damocles hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment. To escape this danger, the best approach was to grow so rapidly that even if his secret were exposed, the He family would be unable to touch him.

The military was built on seniority; unless there was a major war, it was difficult to rise quickly. Even if he achieved something later, the He family’s generations of influence within the military system would make it easy for them to dispose of him.

Studying for the imperial examinations was also slow. Setting aside the time required for academic cultivation, even if he believed himself to be well-versed and capable of grasping subjects quickly, it would still take two or three years to master the "eight-legged" essays. Furthermore, the schedule of the examinations would not wait for him. From the initial scholar level to the metropolitan exam, even with a smooth path, it would take at least three years. In those three years, there were too many variables.

Were there any other paths? He Zhongan hadn't known before, but now he did. Why bother with the imperial exams or the military? He had over a decade of scientific education and experience working in government departments. This was a bottomless treasure trove. With He Zhongan's knowledge, he could only dream of being a scientist in the modern world, but in this era, he was an absolute top-tier talent.

A mere broken pocket watch—what kind of technical complexity could it have? If it cost over a thousand taels, the profit margin must be astronomical. And that was just one watch. What if he applied this to other things?

Working in the government, He Zhongan had participated extensively in industrial chain investigation, transformation, upgrading, and elimination. He understood how to develop regional industry. Moreover, he understood the essence of power.

Power is essentially the ability to mobilize social resources. The increase in social resources brought about by industrial development far exceeds that of agriculture. If he could control this portion of social resources, why would he even need to be an official? The Emperor would be forced to grant him office just to maintain the stability of the Great Xia dynasty.

This was the true golden road, an absolute "blue ocean." It was far better than trying to squeeze into fields he wasn't familiar with. Of course, this was a long-term direction. He Zhongan needed to handle the immediate matter first.

"Take another look. Can this watch be repaired?" He Ziqi asked.

He Zhongan took the tools and carefully pried open the casing. He discovered that the interior was in ruins. The mechanism was incredibly delicate, and although the lead bullet hadn't pierced the outer shell, it had smashed the interior to pieces. Countless tiny, chaotic parts were scattered everywhere.

He Zhongan shook his head and said with certainty, "It cannot be repaired."

He Ziqi sighed. "If this one can't be used, how will we procure more in Beijing? And the cost..."

"There is no need to procure one," He Zhongan said confidently. "I can make one."

He Ziqi was shocked. "How is that possible?"

"Why wouldn't it be? Since ancient times, the ingenuity of Chinese craftsmanship has been unmatched. If the foreigners can make it, it is only natural that I can too," He Zhongan replied. "Building a watch is not difficult. The difficulty lies in making it this small; that is beyond the ability of an ordinary craftsman. As for what I can produce, we shall see."

"Very well," He Ziqi said. "I will provide the funds. No matter the size, I want you to build me one."

"No problem. However, please give me one day to prepare."

If He Zhongan had been asked to build a mechanical clock from scratch, he might have needed some time to think, as he hadn't specialized in it, nor was he a hobbyist. But after dismantling a table clock and a pocket watch, he understood how they worked.

Essentially, a mechanical watch is just a mainspring mechanism combined with countless gears. The mainspring stores energy, and through the gear train, releases it at a constant speed. This steady release of power drives the hour, minute, and second hands. Everything else in the structure serves that purpose. Once he understood that, the rest was simple. He just needed to design the mainspring barrel and gear sets according to different requirements.

Two days later, back at He Ziqi's place with all the estate's craftsmen present, He Ziqi cleared his throat. "Today, the Third Young Master will instruct you on how to make clocks and watches."

The crowd was stunned.

"Seventh Master, even if the Third Young Master knows how to repair them, to build one..." an old craftsman ventured. The others dared not speak, but they nodded in agreement.

He Ziqi did not defend He Zhongan, but looked to him instead. He Zhongan knew that to get things done, he had to win these men over. He pulled out a drawing, hung it on the wall, and said, "This is the structural diagram of a pocket watch."

He Zhongan explained in detail, from the mainspring to the gears, the function and rotational speed of each component. As he spoke, he hung up over a hundred different views of the diagrams. When he finally finished, he asked the craftsmen, "Do you understand?"

The craftsmen shook their heads in unison. "We do not."

He Zhongan was taken aback. He felt he had explained it clearly enough. How could they not understand? He didn't realize that most of these craftsmen were barely literate. While their craftsmanship was exquisite, they were completely ignorant of the underlying principles. No matter how detailed his explanation, they had difficulty grasping it. Furthermore, every trade had its own jargon—a form of professional slang. He Zhongan had instinctively used academic language from the future, which sounded like celestial gibberish to them.

However, not everyone failed to understand. Many of the craftsmen had grasped the parts related to their own expertise, and even that little bit of understanding seemed miraculous to them. The way everyone looked at He Zhongan had changed.

Someone whispered privately, "They say scholars are the stars of literature descended to earth. I'd never seen a scholar who was truly impressive before, but looking at the Third Young Master, I've finally seen it. Even the legendary masters of old couldn't be better than this."

Seeing this group of stubborn men, He Zhongan sighed. "I will explain it one more time. If there is anything you do not understand or are confused about, remember to ask questions after I finish."

He Zhongan explained it to them again, then took questions one by one. These veteran craftsmen, who had decades of experience, were now being lectured like children, yet they were entirely convinced.

He Ziqi couldn't understand what He Zhongan was talking about, but he could read the scene clearly. *This Third Young Master,* he thought, *is no ordinary man when it comes to the path of craftsmanship.* He then made his decision.