Chapter 2439: Persuasion (Part 1)

"Old-timeline metrology was divided into ten categories. I think mechanical industry depends on two of them: 'geometric quantity metrology' and 'mechanics metrology.' Among these, geometric quantity metrology heavily depends on your optical equipment. For example, the Michelson interferometer—after all, optical measurement methods have high precision!"

Lin Hanlong finally understood why Yuan Haowen was so enthusiastic toward him. He continued the thread: "The Michelson interferometer isn't too difficult to make. It's just that I know nothing about 'metrology' as you describe it—I'm afraid what I make won't be useful for you."

Seeing that Lin Hanlong had taken the bait, Yuan Haowen was delighted. "That's no problem. I'll handle the mechanical processing. I also have old-timeline materials on metrology interferometers. This is an entirely new field."

The two talked at length about metrology issues, especially regarding measuring tools and precision instruments. They felt like old friends who regretted not meeting sooner. Their discussion continued late into the night.

By the time Lin Hanlong returned home from Yuan Haowen's, it was already midnight. Cai Junjie escorted his master to the apartment entrance and whispered a complaint: "Master, you were away on business for several days and just got back, yet you stayed out this late again!"

"You little monkey—what's it to you!" Lin Hanlong was in a good mood. He gave his apprentice a rap on the head. "You're not my wife!"

"Well, although I'm not your wife, the mistresses have complaints..."

"Complaints are complaints. Are we going to stop living because of complaints?" Lin Hanlong waved his hand. "Less babbling—hurry back."

"What time should I come pick you up tomorrow?"

"Seven AM."

"That's too early..."

"Scram!"

Cai Junjie wanted to say more, but thinking that this was just his master's temperament, he decided to say nothing and left with the driver.

Lin Hanlong returned home. The entrance hall light was still on, but the house was silent. Lin Guanyu used to always wait for him in the entrance hall, but since he didn't come home every day, sometimes she'd end up waiting all night in the chair. Feeling guilty, Lin Hanlong had established a rule that after 10 PM, no one needed to wait up for him—the household could do as they pleased.

He looked toward the inner corridor. All the room doors were closed, pitch dark. Everyone was asleep. Recently, his daughter slept more soundly at night and didn't fuss anymore. Lin Hanlong wanted to go see her, but thinking she and Sonia were probably both fast asleep, going in would only disturb them. So he decided against it.

After washing up, he rested in his own study—because his return times were irregular, no one liked being woken in the middle of the night by someone climbing into bed. So after the house got bigger, he had specially set up a study for himself with a small bed inside. When he came back late, he'd rest here.

He slept until broad daylight. Lin Hanlong looked at his watch—it was already 6:30. He hurried to get up and wash. Lin Guanyu had already prepared breakfast and was waiting for him.

"Still sleeping?" Lin Hanlong asked.

"Mm, still sleeping," Lin Guanyu said quietly. "She fussed for a while near dawn."

"Is that so," Lin Hanlong said. "I didn't hear anything."

"Of course you didn't hear anything." Lin Guanyu said with a hint of complaint. "Your snoring could be heard outside the door." She began serving him porridge.

"Was it that loud?" Lin Hanlong was somewhat skeptical. "Then I should go to the hospital for a checkup."

"Even snoring needs a doctor's visit—Dr. Shi would surely laugh at you."

"You don't understand." Lin Hanlong felt slightly regretful. If it were Sonia, she would certainly inquire why snoring needed medical attention, then launch into a discussion about respiration and human anatomy.

Lin Guanyu was actually quite like some of his senior relatives—gentle in temperament, caring for family members attentively, but not very educated. She always relied on life experience and teachings from the older generation to handle things. Though it felt warm and comfortable, they couldn't have deeper conversations.

"I don't understand, I don't understand—go find your one who understands!" Lin Guanyu was somewhat angry. She set down a steamer of dumplings heavily on the table and turned to go back to the kitchen.

Lin Hanlong grabbed Lin Guanyu around the waist and laughed (the following 100,000 characters are deleted)... Only then did he calmly get up, straighten his clothes, and instruct: "No need to save dinner for me tonight. There'll probably be work to do again."

Lin Guanyu nodded silently, then touched her hair and asked: "Is my hair messed up?"

Lin Hanlong patted her head and smiled: "Not a hair out of place."

With that, he picked up his shoulder bag and headed out the door. But Cai Junjie and the driver were already waiting outside. Seeing Lin Hanlong emerge, Cai Junjie hurried over: "Master, it's almost 7:30 already..."

"Didn't you say yesterday that coming to pick me up at seven was too early?"

Cai Junjie was speechless. But that was what you said! However, he didn't dare argue back and could only complain: "But the pass I applied for the driver only lasts until 7:30..."

"Then let's hurry." Lin Hanlong was in a good mood. He plopped down on the Gold Star Type Zero and stomped on the foot bell. "Let's go!"

At the optical factory, Lin Hanlong made his usual rounds of the workshops, checking the night shift's production records. He also spot-checked several products from last night's shift. The yield rate was rising every month. Our industrial upgrades are indeed taking effect, he thought.

"Has the trial product of the projection tracer been made?" he asked Cai Shengjie.

"Five units have been made. A few more are being assembled and tested."

"Tell them to hurry—the museum is waiting for them." Lin Hanlong thought helplessly that ever since Sonia went to work at the museum, the Remote Survey Team frequently came to "pull strings" when applying for equipment. "Test the finished ones yourself."

"Yes." Cai Shengjie knew this meant they were placing great emphasis on these instruments' "user experience."

The projection tracer was an optical instrument used to help artists when painting. Using lenses to create an optical superimposition of the viewed object and the artist's painting surface, the artist could see both the scene and the canvas simultaneously, like double exposure in photography. This allowed artists to transfer key points from the scene directly onto the canvas, helping with accurate perspective drawing. Artists could even trace the outlines of objects in the scene.

Such devices only received relevant patents in 1806, but Kepler had clearly described similar equipment in his work Dioptrice in 1611.

In fact, from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries onward, painters known for their realism quite possibly weren't all relying purely on skill. According to research, many great painters including Caravaggio were quite possibly not working empty-handed but using optical devices as aids. Artists at the time already knew about camera obscura using pinhole imaging principles or direct lens projection to assist in painting.

If using pinhole imaging principles, you needed a lot of space—a room as dark as possible or a tent. Later, with technical improvements using lenses, the whole camera obscura became quite small—small enough for a servant to carry. Of course, as the camera obscura developed further, replacing the projection screen or frosted glass with photographic plates, it became the earliest camera. This camera obscura had specially developed models useful for observing distant scenery, convenient for field survey and measurement personnel. There were also designs where the projection could directly overlap with the drawing paper, allowing painters to directly compare scenery with their own painting—very convenient and accurate. Natural history illustrators of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries widely used such devices to precisely depict organisms.

Similar designs existed for microscopes. Nineteenth-century biologists who drew microorganisms generally relied on this for their drawings—for example, the structures of various cells and the appearances of various bacteria. Such microscopic images were very difficult to achieve with photography. Microscopes displayed virtual images, inherently difficult to photograph. Even if one managed to produce forced photographs, their resolution was very limited. In comparison, humans could observe microscopic details through the microscope for long periods, understand the specific structures, and directly draw them—with better results.

One can imagine that since this device was so useful, it had naturally been placed on the optical factory's agenda early on. Not only was it needed for natural history illustration, but the Health Department also needed such equipment to train qualified sanitation and epidemic prevention personnel.

Fortunately, this device had no technical difficulties. For an optical equipment factory that could already mass-produce telescopes and eyeglass lenses, it wasn't hard.

Lin Hanlong was just about to think over the precision measurement tool production he had discussed with Yuan Haowen yesterday when Cai Junjie suddenly came in.

"Chief, Senator Wang from the Nanyang Company is here. He says he'd like to talk with you."

"Oh? Is this the Senator Wang who came yesterday?"

"Yes, that's him."

"Please show him to my office."

Lin Hanlong wasn't particularly interested in Nanyang Company matters, but since the other party was so eager to see him, there must be something important.

A few minutes later, Wang Kai arrived at Lin Hanlong's office.

Strictly speaking, aside from meetings and such occasions, this was the first time the two had met privately. After greetings and taking seats, Lin Hanlong asked casually: "What brings you to me?"

Wang Kai felt somewhat embarrassed—honestly, he didn't know how to broach this subject.

After an awkward moment of silence, Wang Kai finally mustered the courage:

"Let me first introduce myself. I'm the Development Department Manager of Nanyang Company."

Lin Hanlong nodded to indicate he had heard.

"Today I've come to visit you..." Wang Kai unconsciously used honorifics, "regarding a matter about Sonia... that is, your life secretary..."

"What matter?!" A huge question mark appeared above Lin Hanlong's head.

"It's like this." Fearing some misunderstanding, Wang Kai immediately explained that he would soon be leading a Southeast Asian expedition, and the expedition team needed an experienced naturalist. That's why he had thought of Sonia.

"This expedition is very important, so I hope Sonia can participate."

Lin Hanlong's initially somewhat tense expression relaxed. Wang Kai's mood also lightened slightly.

"How large is the scope of your expedition? Roughly what regions? And the expedition's purpose?" Lin Hanlong asked with considerable interest.

(End of Chapter)