Chapter 27
While I was waiting for Keqing to return, a sensible thought finally hit me: I should at least put together a small list of goals for the near future—and better yet, think up some research ideas.
So, first, it's obvious I need to create an Electro core, and Keqing will help me with that; ideally, she'd help me with it tonight.
Second, training with the Adepti. First and foremost, I need to learn to separate the energies of time and space from the energies of heaven and earth in order to form cores. But this point could stretch on for a very long time.
Third point—I need to think about how to implement remote communication. Honestly, I don't understand why Fontaine has such advanced technology and yet no proper means of communication. The simplest way to implement it, in my view, is via electromagnetic waves. Yes, at the most basic level it would work on a single frequency, and I don't really know how to expand that and so on; my knowledge in this area is, you could say, basic. But this raises an important question: will Teyvat's physical laws work the same way as those in my previous world? Is the Electro element truly electricity? I need to check that by trying to create the simplest magnet from iron using copper wire and electricity. I'll have to go to a blacksmith.
Fourth point. Possibly the most important for the whole research center idea. I need to nudge Cloud Retainer into creating a computer. I know for a fact that Sumeru has an analogue, but it essentially runs on the power of a god's heart, which isn't what we need. The dragon civilization's technologies from Natlan won't help much either, since the basic principle is unclear. Unfortunately, I'm not advanced enough to contribute much to building a computer, but I do know the two things that formed the foundation of computers—namely, the binary numeral system and transistors. I think if I can at least outline the basic principle, geniuses like Cloud Retainer, as well as the scholars of Sumeru and Fontaine, should be able to develop the idea further. What is it that scientific breakthroughs often lack? Correct—the right idea and inspiration, which can direct scientists' painstaking efforts along the right path.
All right, binary system and transistors. I don't know that much about them, to be honest, but I do know that in the binary system, 0 is considered the absence of a signal or something like that, and 1 is its presence.
"God, it feels like I'm back in school taking a test," I smirked, looking at my notes in a small notebook. "Whatever, it's important to write down how to convert the familiar decimal system into binary."
"So, now, what was said about the decimal system again? It appeared because almost everyone has ten fingers on their hands?" I muttered, starting to write.
If I remember correctly, the familiar numeral system is decimal: from right to left, you multiply each digit by 10 to a certain power. First by 10 to the zero—that's the digits 0 through 9—then by 10 to the first—that's 10 through 99—then 10 squared—that's 100 through 999, and so on. For example, the number 888 is 810^2 + 810^1 + 8*10^0.
"Okay, good, that I remember. Next I need to recall how it works for binary, though it's basically the same, except instead of powers of 10 you use powers of 2, and only ones and zeros are used, which is precisely what allows such flexibility in constructing logical problems and achieving almost all modern technologies. After all, as is known, anything in the universe can be assigned a number; you just need to be able to represent that number in the binary system and reproduce it," I muttered as I wrote from memory.
"Girls, is it just me, or has Lord Yun Che lost his mind?" came the whispered voice of a maid, who had apparently heard my mumbling.
"Hm," I grunted at that and kept writing. After all, just saying that instead of powers of 10 you take powers of 2 is not enough—at least, it wasn't enough for me, and I only really understood after I saw examples of converting decimal to binary, and then converted a couple of numbers myself, even if the simplest ones, otherwise the notes would be too long. I think, as an example, I could convert 5 into binary. So, 5 in binary is…
"Damn, it's hard to convert on the fly in my head," I sighed. "It's easier to just write them in order from 0 to 5. I can break each one down for clarity at the same time."
0 — obviously, 0
1 — 1
2 — 10 — 12^1 + 02^0
3 — 11 — 12^1 + 12^0
4 — 100 — 12^2 + 02^1 + 0*2^0
5 — 101 — 12^2 + 02^1 + 1*2^0
"As for transistors, I barely remember anything, except there were AND, OR, and, I think, an inverting NOT?" I muttered, underlining this note with several question marks. "What I do remember for sure is that an AND transistor outputs 1 if both inputs are ones; if there's at least one 0, the output is 0."
"That's it, I don't think I can help much beyond funding," I sighed, leaning back in my chair, and at that moment I felt a spark of jealousy flare up again in Keqing's emotions.
"Well, at least I know I'm truly dear to her," I chuckled before standing up and heading out.
"If Lady Keqing returns before me, tell her I've gone to the blacksmith," I told the maids and, after making sure they'd heard me right, went in the needed direction. The forge wasn't far from our house, and arranging for the blacksmith to make me thin copper wire wasn't difficult, though I did have to pay extra. Fortunately, money isn't something I need to worry about. But just as I was taking out Mora to pay, it was as if a bomb of confusion, anger, and hurt exploded from Keqing's side.
"BOOM!"
As if echoing her emotional surge, an explosion sounded in the sky over Liyue, coming from the direction of the Jade Chamber, so without counting out the proper amount, I simply tossed the pouch of Mora to the blacksmith, told him to keep the change, and, right in front of the stunned looks of the man and passersby—who were already eyeing my horns with interest—transformed into a qilin. Unlike the first time I transformed, this time the process was very quick—I'd even say natural. I ran through the air straight toward the Chamber, and by the time I arrived, I could feel Keqing's emotions beginning to subside a little. Even so, I still intended to find her to figure out what happened, and finding her turned out to be easy, because tearing through one of the Chamber's walls, a stream of Electro energy shot into the sky, taking the form of an energy slash. Rushing in that direction, I was met with a scene: part of the Chamber's ceiling destroyed, revealing a furious Keqing who was fiercely attacking a defending and apologizing Ganyu; completing the tableau was Ningguang standing off to the side, covering her mouth with a hand as she giggled, despite the fact that her beloved Chamber was being wrecked.
"Or maybe she's just happy about how much Mora she can wring out of us for repairs," flashed through my mind before I finally decided to intervene.
"What is going on here?!" I asked loudly, landing between the girls and shifting back into human form as I did.
"Yun Che?" Keqing exclaimed, stopping her attack. Then, with a flare of anger, she pointed at Ganyu and complained, "This… horned one pulled my tail!"
"What?" That threw me off. It had already seemed strange to me that Keqing and Ganyu would clash over anything—and to be honest, I even kind of liked the Keqing + Ganyu pairing. But grabbing Keqing by the tail?
"Why?" I asked Ganyu, my expression and tone conveying just how baffled I was.
"I… I… I'm very sorry," Ganyu bowed to my wife, even starting to stutter from nervousness and shame, then continued, "It's just that your tail seemed so cute to me, and I couldn't get it out of my head, and I did it unconsciously."
"What?" Keqing and I exclaimed in unison, shocked by the confession; at the same time, my wife's fury suddenly turned into embarrassment, and my bewilderment shifted to confusion.
For my part, I felt confused too: should I be jealous of Ganyu now?
"So, who's going to compensate me for the damages?" Ningguang interjected with a smile.
"I'll pay for everything; it's my fault," Ganyu murmured, lowering her head.
"… Put half the repair costs on my account," Keqing declared after a short pause, then, ignoring everyone, walked up to me and, looking me in the eyes, said:
"Let's go home."
"All right," I said, feeling warmth spread inside me as I looked at her. Smiling, I scooped her up in a princess carry and leapt into the sky above the Jade Chamber, standing confidently on the air, then, still holding her in my arms, headed home.
Once the two young Adepti had left the Chamber, Ningguang approached Ganyu with a sly smile.
"So, how does her tail feel to the touch?"
"Uuuuu, this is all your fault!" Ganyu nearly died of embarrassment.