278 Standing on the Giant’s Shoulder 2 (1/2)

With a slight sound, the gate of the underground experiment lab opened. The old man dressed in a dirty white coat walked out of the lift with a bundle of things wrapped in black dust-proof cloth.

”Mr. Newton...”

”Mr. Dean!”

”Sir!”

The delegates rose and walked over. However, Newton just waved his hand in boredom and impatiently said, ”Well, I guess you all can’t wait any longer. You all aren’t very good at hyping up technology, so without further ado, the demonstration will officially start now. ”

The delegates returned to their seats awkwardly. Newton carried the bundle of things and swaggered to the center of the room. He slammed the black dust-proof cloth onto the ground, raised his head and voice, and said, ”Today’s demonstration is an emergency commission by the Royal Musician Division half a month ago. I designed this sealed object specifically for the task. I named it Mary. If you don't like this name, you can think of something more imposing.”

As he spoke, a huge iron cage was slowly lowered through the padlock opened in the ceiling. In the iron cage, crisscrossed chains shackled a huge black figure. The human-like thing was bound by the shackles and the chains. It had white bony barbs all over its body. Its messy hair was black as oil, and it smelled as if it had not bathed in a long time.

That thing was more like a gorilla than human being. However, the gorilla was too large. Even people standing dozens of meters away would get chills by looking at it. It gazed at the living creatures and struggled frantically. The iron cage whined plaintively, almost collapsing under that strange force.

”Mature primate demon?”

Almost all the representatives subconsciously moved behind Andrew, the deputy head of the Royal Musician Division. Everyone knew that Newton was a psychopath and that a psychopath would surely be a troublemaker. He had definitely caused his share of trouble. So, if there was any problem, it was the safest behind Andrew.

”The introduction is finished. Now, let’s start?” Newton looked at their faint pallor with undisguised mockery in his eyes. ”This is taking your hearts into consideration.”

”Excuse me, Mr. Newton,” Andrew suddenly asked. ”Where is your work 'Mary'?”

”Well, isn't it here?” Newton kicked the bundle of things under the dust-proof cloth beside him. ”Mr. Andrew, do you have bad eyesight? Come and see me sometime. I'll get you a pair of glasses for free. ”

Andrew frowned. Narrowing his eyes, he studied it carefully. A long time later, he asked, ”Sorry, I do not feel any aetheric waves. I can perceive that the things you brought are just ordinary steel instruments without any notes or movements. ”

”Well, it is so. Recently, those alchemists responsible for the process got their periods at the same time. Irregular periods. They’re too troublesome, so I made a difficult decision.” Newton undid the buttons on the black dust-proof cloth. ”I gave them six months' leave to have a good rest. Now, one of them is probably at beach in Burgundy, I think? Oh, by the way, I paid for them. I didn't spend any of the budget, but since everyone’s on break, there was no other way. I could only solve the problem by myself. Therefore, no alchemy was used throughout the process. This thing is pure mechanical engineering.”

His words stunned everyone.

Under everyone’s dumbfounded scrutiny, he took off the dust-proof cloth, revealing the steel creations. These things that looked like…the long cones used as markers to fix the target during geological missions?

The slender and heavy long cones were about a meter long with a tip sharp enough to hurt one’s eye if they looked. The six long cones did not need to be bound by anything. They were connected by inserting into each other’s gaps, as if they were made like that. Those things looked like spears for killing. There was no doubt about their lethality, but they just looked...nothing like what a musician would use.

”What kind of weapon is this?” Some were shocked.

”It's not a weapon.” Newton weighed the long cone in his hand and smiled mysteriously. ”This is a musical instrument, my friends.”

There was a silence in the crowd as if they could not understand the common language. They looked at each other, exchanging only confused and blank eyes.

Finally, the youngest of them, forced by the others’ stares, stood up and said, ”But Professor Newton, this is not alchemy—”

”Who said it was impossible to play music without alchemy?” Newton lifted the long cone and thrust it into the ground. It pierced into the ground easily with its great sharpness. ”I told you, the people who come here won’t need brains. It’s useless even if you have a brain. Just listen to me carefully. Now, listen up.” He glanced at the young man who had a troubled expression. ”If I say it is an instrument, then it is an instrument.”

At the very front, the musician Andrew slightly frowned but did not speak up. Newton watched as the crowd fell silent again and chuckled. He pierced the spear-like things into the ground around the iron cage.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Three long cones embedded perfectly in an invisible ring, forming an equilateral triangle that surrounded the primate demon in the cages. He fumbled around his pocket for while and found half a twisted cigarette. After another while of fumbling, he grew impatient.

”Charles, where are you? Come on, light it for me!”

In the distance, Charles pursed his lips. He rubbed his hands and a line of fire flew past, accurately lighting the cigarette. Newton inhaled deeply. Puffing out blue smoke, he tapped the ashes behind him.

Boom! Ignited by the fuel splashed onto the iron cage, flames burst. The feeble primate demon grew furious. It struggled forcefully. The precarious iron cage complained.

In a series of shrill sounds, the iron shackles twisted into a strange shape. The chains broke one by one and the iron scraps burst. The pieces scattered to the ground, creating sparks and breaking the stone tiles.

With a roar, the burning iron cage completely fell apart. The raging demon in the flames completely lost all restraint. Under its sharp roar, even the flames weakened like a candle in the wind from the frantic tremors.

”Newton, are you mad?” There was a scream in the crowd.

Newton sneered at him with a mocking expression, his back to the burning demon. The primate demon grew furious. It twisted, twisted the lock, and pounced toward Newton with hiss. It still remembered the old rascal who had been too lazy to find a toilet and peed next to his cage!

In a twinkling, everyone’s faces grew pale. Andrew, who had always been calm as statue, was stunned too. He lifted his fingers, about to trigger his sound of heart and release a music movement. However, he stopped immediately because electricity flashed out of thin air!