Zhou Xue glanced at him, took out a novel and started reading it on her own.

The car drove very quickly.

This car was obviously a little old, and the asthma patient with an asthma carriage engine seemed to be breathless, making a sound of "Kutong Kutong". Chen Shouyi was a little worried about whether he would break down the road.

After lying for about half an hour, he opened his eyes and looked out the window.

Outside is an industrial area with chimneys on it, spewing a lot of white smoke.

Pingqiu City is not far from Ningzhou, and it has already entered Ningzhou.

Compared with Pingqiu City, which is still depressed, the traffic on the road here has recovered, but it is still much less than before.

"Master, I heard that some factories here use steam engines?" At this time, someone in the car asked the driver.

“Those who are smoking are basically all!

Now the electricity in Ningzhou can only supply residential areas and some industrial areas. Most factories can only generate electricity by themselves, or use steam engines and transform machine tools. It is said that the government has subsidies and can also borrow interest-free loans." The driver said.

"This is really..." The passenger didn't know how to express his feelings: "I thought it was fake."

"Actually, the steam engine is not good either. Look at the thermal power station, nuclear power stations are not powered by steam turbines, and the current factory steam engines are not the same as before.

At least it is a subcritical steam engine. One steam engine can drive hundreds or even thousands of heavy machine tools. It saves much more money than generating electricity by yourself!”

As a former senior high school student, Chen Shouyi still knows what the subcritical steam engine means?

During the heating and gasification process of water, as the pressure in the boiler increases, the saturation temperature of water will also increase, and the gasification efficiency will decrease. When the pressure increases to a certain extent, the steam will be saturated and will no longer be gasified. The density of steam and water is the same, which is to reach the critical state.

If the pressure and temperature continue to increase, all gasification into steam at this time, and there is no difference between steam and water. Water is steam, and steam is water, which becomes supercritical.

The subcritical state is approaching the critical state, which is already an extremely mature technology.

As for today's thermal power plants and nuclear power plants, they basically use supercritical units, or even supersupercritical units.

However, even the thermal efficiency of subcritical steam engines is already extremely high, far from comparable to that of steam engines a hundred years ago.

But no matter how clear it is, Chen Shouyi still feels heavy in his heart when he looks at the chimneys outside.

This is the slow decline of human civilization.

After all, electricity is the cleanest and cleanest energy for mankind.

If forces in another world continue to invade, once electricity is completely unavailable, not only will the prosperous and convenient era of information electrification be completely civilized, but all industries including metallurgy and chemistry will also experience serious recession.

The whole world will become dark.

He looked at the chimney that was spitting out the window with white smoke, as if he saw the afterglow of a civilization that was about to decline.

I felt a faint sadness for no reason in my heart.

...

The car continued to drive for half an hour and finally stood by.

Chen Shouyi and Zhou Xue got off the car together and walked out of the station. They saw many taxis outside:

"Together?" Chen Shouyi asked.

Zhou Xue nodded and said, "Well, save money by carpooling together!"

After all, he is a fifteen-year-old girl and probably never came to Ningzhou.

Of course, he didn't, but he was much more courageous than her. He put the backpack behind him in the reserve compartment and sat in the cab:

"Master, go to the martial arts assessment center."

The driver started the car quickly and said, "I have picked it up several times today, all of whom are from the martial arts assessment center."

"Are there many people?" Chen Shouyi asked.

"More! Most of them came from other places. I heard that this assessment will reduce the requirements!" The driver said with great information.

"Really?" Zhou Xue heard it and asked quickly.

"It must be, you think, so many people come here, when will it take one by one to pass the exam? The requirements will definitely be relaxed at that time."

Zhou Xue had no idea about the assessment, and she couldn't help but be happy when she heard this good news.

Chen Shouyi didn't care whether it was difficult or simple this time, and then asked:

“Is there a hotel nearby?”

"There are quite a few, but I'm probably full!"

"Let's go there first, let's talk about it then."

The car arrived at its destination soon.

"The building in front is the martial arts assessment center, with a total of 125."

"So expensive!" Zhou Xue behind her exclaimed.

"How fresh, the fuel cost has doubled now, and the fuel consumption is also high for driving. Look, I have already checked out the meter." The driver shouted.

Chen Shouyi did not argue and took out his wallet to pay.

After taking the change, he took out his and his luggage from the trunk and waited for her to get off the car.

"It's too expensive. I'd have been on a bus if I had known it." After Zhou Xue took off her luggage, she muttered, looking distressed, and then took out a wallet: "For you, this is seventy yuan! You'll find me eight yuan and five yuan."

Chen Shouyi took it and put it in his wallet, saying:

"I don't have change, I owe it first."

"You just collected five of the change from the driver, so give it to me first."

Chen Shouyi opened his wallet again and found that there were five pieces inside. He took them out and handed them over: "For you!"

"Then you still owe me three or five yuan." Zhou Xue said seriously.

This girl is a little serious.

Chen Shouyi was speechless: "Don't worry, I will definitely return it to you when I get it."

...

The two of them then started looking for hotels nearby, but either full or too expensive.

Chen Shouyi didn't care. Since he got gold, his life has always been prosperous and his spending has become a bit generous.

But Zhou Xue was not satisfied.

"This store is more expensive than the front, with 300 single rooms, and you have to stay for two more days."

"I have been looking for it for more than two hours, why don't I pay for it for you, you don't have to pay it back." Chen Shouyi couldn't help but say.

"If you are impatient, just leave. I didn't ask to stay with me anyway." Zhou Xue's face suddenly became cold.

Chen Shouyi has been in good condition since childhood and has lived a worry-free life. He has never been worried about money. It is inevitable that he would have a normal family, and perhaps a single-parent family, how much pressure it is to train a warrior apprentice. At the same time, he is more sensitive than ordinary people in terms of money.

Chen Shouyi reacted and quickly apologized:

"Okay, I'm wrong, then keep looking!"

The two of them didn't talk anymore and walked with their heads in silence. The atmosphere that was finally familiar slowly became cooler.

After searching for nearly half an hour, the two finally found a hotel with the right price.

Looking at the age of the two, there was no strange thing on the beautiful waiter at the front desk: "I need a couple's room?"

Zhou Xue widened her eyes slightly when she heard this, and a blush appeared on her fair face. She stuttered a little: "I... we are not together, we are single room, I will stay for two days."

"Please show your ID card, the deposit is 100, the room fee is 200, and the total is 300 yuan."
Chapter completed!