novelsite Chapter 51 Watchtower, Minimalist Design and Lighthouse in the Night
Chapter 51 Watchtower, Minimalist Design and Lighthouse in the Night
The rain outside had lessened a bit, and Lu Sheng, Lin Ran, and Jiang Shutong sat on the sofa together, completing the campsite's planning drawings.
"A small pavilion should be placed here and here for the gatekeepers who are responsible for opening and closing the gates to live in. The gatekeepers can be found from Liang Shan's subordinates."
Jiang Shutong pointed to the inside of the northeast and west gates:
"Otherwise, every time a car comes, we have to run over to open the door. When we lived in the gas station, it was just a few steps to open the door, but now it's much farther."
Lu Sheng nodded and placed the pencil vertically on the spot where the security booth would be:
"What do you think of using guard towers instead of security booths?"
"Wouldn't opening the door so frequently mean going up and down the stairs?"
Upon hearing Jiang Shutong's words, Lu Sheng explained his reasons for doing so:
"These two watchtowers, along with two armed sentries, can cover the surrounding area and the entire camp."
While serving as a security perimeter, it also has the function of maintaining order within the camp. With people from all walks of life coming and going, it's necessary to prepare in advance.
After Lu Sheng finished speaking, Lin Ran added to Jiang Shutong's concerns:
"We lack energy right now, so we can't make the iron gate remote-controlled, but we don't lack manpower. We can easily work in groups of three."
One person was responsible for keeping watch, another for opening and closing the gate, and the remaining person took turns resting with them to ensure that the camp could be protected 24 hours a day.
Once the energy issue is resolved, we'll install a remote control switch on the iron gate and reduce the shifts to two people per group.
"Okay, let's go with this idea. Lin Ran, could you draw a simple design drawing of the watchtower?"
Lu Sheng looked at Lin Ran:
"It doesn't matter if it's simple or not, as long as it's a sentry tower. After it's installed, I can upgrade it and put it into use. It's much more cost-effective than buying a sentry tower directly."
He had already seen the prices beforehand; a single watchtower cost tens of thousands, not including shipping. After much thought, he decided to stick to his old tactics: build a rudimentary version first, and then upgrade it.
"I'm fine, give me some time."
Lin Ran stood up from the sofa and went back to the bedroom.
"There's a small table inside, which Lin Ran is using as a work table for now. I'm quite envious of her; she seems to know everything."
Jiang Shutong explained to Lu Sheng, adding her own reflections.
"Everyone has their strengths, by the way, there's something you need to help me with, Shutong."
Lu Sheng lowered his voice when he finished speaking, and Jiang Shutong leaned over. After hearing what was going on, she immediately agreed.
"Okay, I'll take care of this. But why don't you go and say it yourself?"
"It's not easy for me to bring this up, and I don't want to put her in a difficult position."
"Alright, I'll find a chance to test her attitude for you."
Jiang Shutong readily agreed.
Time passed quickly, and it was almost noon when Lin Ran came out of the room and handed Lu Sheng a design drawing.
She designed a watchtower with a structure that is easy to understand at a glance, and it requires less wood to build than common watchtowers, making it a simplified version of mainstream watchtowers.
"Considering your methods, I think the primary consideration for a watchtower should be ease of construction and usability. Saving on materials might make it look rudimentary, but the appearance and structure can be improved during reinforcement."
"That's good. I'll go find Liang Shan."
Lu Sheng took the blueprints, opened his umbrella, and went out. At the same time, he contacted Liang Shan to bring a few skilled workers to meet him at the gas station warehouse.
A moment later, in the refueling warehouse, Lu Sheng showed the design drawings to Liang Shan.
"Can you understand it?"
"No problem, this structure is quite easy to understand. Do you want it now?"
Lu Sheng nodded:
"There are tools in the warehouse, let's work together to set one up and see."
Upon being asked to do so by Lu Sheng, Liang Shan immediately rallied the people he had brought to get to work, with some taking tools and others moving materials.
Lu Sheng wanted to lend a hand, but Liang Shan repeatedly refused. However, Cheng Qiushui wanted to join in, and he accepted.
The group cut the wood into long strips and planks, and pieced them together little by little according to the design drawings. From the four main frames of the tower to the cross structure that ensures stability, a watchtower was built bit by bit.
As Liang Shan hammered the last nail into the top of the watchtower, night was approaching outside, but now, with the protection of the wall, their fear of the dark was greatly reduced.
Taking advantage of the rain stopping, Lu Sheng, Liang Shan, Cheng Qiushui, and six workers carried the watchtower out of the refueling warehouse and brought it to the northeast gate.
"On my command, we'll stand it up! Three, two, one!"
"drink!"
At Lu Sheng's command, everyone exerted their strength together, and a watchtower about eight meters high rose from the ground.
As everyone looked up at the spire, they were filled with a sense of accomplishment for creating such a colossal structure.
Lu Sheng reached out and touched the tower, and a line of text appeared in his eyes.
"Basic sentry tower, consumes 2 units of steel and 1 unit of wood, can be upgraded to basic sentry tower."
The material consumption was a little higher than he had expected, but considering the role the watchtower would play in the future, he felt it was perfectly acceptable.
Lu Sheng told everyone to wait a while, then ran back to the warehouse and brought back the necessary materials. The others had already witnessed his methods several times and were all looking forward to seeing what the watchtower would look like after the upgrade.
As the materials transformed into streams of light and flowed into the tower, the entire watchtower glowed.
"The basic sentry tower is about to be upgraded to a basic sentry tower. The structure has been optimized, and the tower's strength and stability have been improved. Please select the enhancement attribute:"
1. Night Lighthouse: The height is increased, and a solar-powered navigation light and a Fresnel lens to focus the light are added to the top, greatly increasing the light range and guiding lost people in the dark.
2. Impregnable: It was transformed into a bunker, with observation and firing ports added, which greatly improved the strength of the tower.
3. Enhanced visibility: The tower's height is significantly increased, and it is equipped with telescopic and telegraph equipment. Internal stabilizers and lightning rods are also installed to enhance its ability to withstand extreme weather conditions.
Looking at the three upgrade options, Lu Sheng thought for a moment and chose the first one.
The camp generates income when people come to visit, and guiding others in the darkness is an even greater act of kindness.
Those who were lost found their way, came to the camp to spend money, and truly lived up to the Buddha's expectations and the promise of money.
After the decision was made, the watchtower was reconstructed in the light, its height increased by half again, and the tower body underwent many upgrades based on the original structure.
As the light faded, Lu Sheng reached out and pushed open the door at the foot of the watchtower, revealing a ladder leading upwards.
"Liang Shan, Qiu Shui, come with me upstairs to take a look."
Later, the three of them stood on the top of the tower and discovered that the watchtower had become a two-layer structure. The top layer contained navigation lights and a focusing lens, while the next layer was the area where the sentries were located.
To ensure power supply for the navigation lights, a small panel battery was installed in the activity area, and the top of the tower and the upper part of the tower are covered with solar panels.
Lu Sheng fumbled around for a while and found the switch for the navigation light. After turning it on, the light shone from the top of the tower into the darkness on both sides and slowly began to rotate.