Chapter 36: Successive Shocks

Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma exited the garage, just in time to see Zhu Di walking into a room.

"Old Fourth, where are you going?"

Zhu Di quickly turned back: "Father, there is a new discovery inside."

"What new discovery?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked with curiosity, walking forward quickly.

The father and son entered and saw the massive display screen, and were shocked once again.

"This, this..."

"So that talking box outside is actually a device similar to an eye? This is too magical!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was shocked beyond measure: "With so many screens, exactly how many of these talking eyes are installed?"

"Father, the point is that it is already dark outside, yet these eyes can still see clearly. If you installed a set like this in the Imperial Palace, you would never have to worry about assassins or petty thieves again."

But what Zhu Yuanzhang thought about was that if Chen Lin possessed these eyes, how would he be able to monitor his every move in the future?

It was terrifying; the future world was truly terrifying!

"Father, look, these images seem to rotate." Zhu Di pointed to one of the frames in the nine-grid display.

Zhu Yuanzhang stepped forward to look, and as a bat flew by, the eye actually followed its movement.

In other words, neither people nor animals could hide from these eyes!

Just then, Zhu Di made another discovery, pointing to a screen: "Look, Chen Lin and Xiao Lan are also on the screen; it looks like they are cooking."

Zhu Yuanzhang’s focus was not on these details; he was concerned with how the entire display and the eyes were connected.

What did they have to do with that power room from earlier?

And there were the lights that turned on without any flame, and the wires and boxes on the two-wheeled vehicle his wife liked.

Everything seemed to exist within one system. Was there some common substance connecting it all?

Power room, power generation room...

Was it lightning from the sky?

Just then, Zhu Di made yet another discovery. Without being taught, he touched the mouse on the console and clicked on one of the grids. The screen instantly zoomed in, showing Zhu Gang and Zhu Shuang playing billiards.

Zhu Yuanzhang closed his eyes and took a deep breath: "Stop looking. No matter how much we watch, we won't understand it. Let's go, let's find Chen Lin."

Zhu Di led Zhu Yuanzhang up the stairs to the first floor. As soon as they reached the living room, a small car slid past their feet. It looked a bit like a metal vehicle, also with four wheels.

Looking closer, Zhu Xiongying was following the car, holding some kind of device in his hand, playing with great delight.

Zhu Yuanzhang was already becoming accustomed to these things; if you told him the car could fly now, he wouldn't find it strange at all.

Who would have thought that as soon as this thought crossed his mind, a drone buzzed past his head.

"This—"

Even though he said it wasn't strange, Zhu Yuanzhang still had his mouth agape, looking up at the bizarre flying machine hovering above him.

*Buzz, buzz, buzz—*

Looking over, a certain man surnamed Chen was puffing on a cigarette, holding a device similar to the one his grandson had, and wiggled his eyebrows at him.

"How about it, Old Zhu? My house is pretty good, right!"

Under the repeated shocks, Zhu Yuanzhang became completely numb; instead, he calmed down.

"We need to have a serious talk."

Chen Lin curled his lips: "I've been waiting for you to say that."

Saying this, Chen Lin pressed the button for the drone to return automatically. With a buzzing sound, the drone landed in its box. He tossed the remote control aside, and Zhu Di quickly caught it.

"For me?"

"What are you thinking? I meant for you to put it back in the box."

"Oh, oh, oh."

Chen Lin looked at Zhu Yuanzhang: "Let’s eat and talk."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and followed him to the dining room, where Chen Xiaolan was still cooking.

Empress Ma also dragged Zhu Xiongying over, sat him down, and ordered Zhu Di to go fetch the two from the basement.

Seeing Chen Xiaolan still busy, she curiously walked into the kitchen. After seeing the induction cooker that could cook without fire and the range hood, she was shocked again.

Chen Lin sat at the head of the table, poured a glass of cola for Zhu Xiongying, and then looked at Zhu Yuanzhang: "Ask away!"

For a moment, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't know where to start. He stared at Chen Lin for a long time without uttering a word.

"It's electricity. Everything is connected through electricity," Chen Lin took the initiative to answer Zhu Yuanzhang's biggest doubt.

"Electricity!?"

"Is it the lightning from the sky?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked skeptically.

Chen Lin took Zhu Yuanzhang's glass and poured him a cola too: "More or less, but my electricity is generated through the sun and running water; it has a gentler character, unlike the violent lightning in the sky."

"Sun! Water! Generating electricity?!"

"Then what is that precise machine in the basement?"

Chen Lin explained: "That also generates electricity, using diesel."

"Your pickup truck also needs that kind of diesel."

Zhu Yuanzhang then realized: "The car suddenly wouldn't start because it was out of fuel?"

Chen Lin could not suppress the smile on his lips: "Yes, so you have to spend money to buy fuel from me."

Zhu Yuanzhang finally understood: "So you've just been targeting me to fleece me, huh? Fine, very good!"

Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath, adjusted his mood, and continued to ask: "What about those talking eyes?"

"Surveillance cameras. They are everywhere in the future world, used to monitor outlaws or those speeding in cars."

Zhu Yuanzhang scratched his head: "What kind of messy stuff is that? It's too complicated."

"I don't care about that. Install a set in the Imperial Palace."

Chen Lin spread his hands: "I don't know how, and I don't have the materials."

"Then go buy them, go learn how!"

Chen Lin replied: "It's not as simple as you think. There is a specialty for every field of study; you can't just learn professional knowledge just like that. If I told you to go weave cloth, could you? If I told you to build a ship, could you learn it?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Then what can you do?"

"I know how to make money and take kickbacks!"

"You—!!"

Zhu Yuanzhang’s temper flared again: "Can you talk properly?"

At this moment, Chen Xiaolan brought a pot of pork stomach and chicken to the table, and Zhu Di also arrived with Zhu Shuang and Zhu Gang.

Empress Ma brought two bowls of rice and handed them to Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Xiongying: "Sit down, let's eat first."

Soon, everyone was holding a bowl of rice. The rice was from the Great Ming, and the ingredients were also from the Great Ming, but the dishes laid out on the table were mostly unrecognizable to the group.

But that did not stop the food from being aromatic and delicious, thanks to MSG and various modern seasonings.

Zhu Yuanzhang temporarily cast his doubts aside. Except for Empress Ma, three generations of men began to devour the food like a whirlwind.

Empress Ma sat beside Zhu Xiongying, barely eating herself, busy picking out food for the little one.

"Your Highness, you should eat too!" Chen Xiaolan added a piece of braised pork to her foster mother's bowl.

Empress Ma wore a look of mock reproach: "Still calling me 'Your Highness'? Call me Mother, or just 'Mom'."

Everyone at the dining table paused.

Don't underestimate this small form of address; it had deep implications.

Calling her "Empress Mother" was already a breach of protocol, let alone "Mom"!!

If she really called her that, it would mean acknowledging Chen Xiaolan's royal status, which would require entry into the imperial genealogy.

Chen Xiaolan was flustered and at a loss, but Chen Lin chimed in: "I say, Mother-in-law, don't just keep picking food for the little brat. He has hands and feet; let him do it himself."

As he spoke, he also picked up a piece of stir-fried tomato and eggs for Empress Ma, and the room suddenly went quiet.