Zhao Hanzhang just sighed casually, but Fu Tinghan lowered his eyes in thought, then said, “Generating electricity isn’t difficult. Not to mention we now have hydraulic facilities, we can also search for coal mines, and can even use human power to generate electricity. Telegraph uses shortwave transmission. The ionosphere is very clean now. Even with dense forests and waterways, I believe electrical waves can transmit.”

“The technical difficulty lies in the vacuum tube. I can’t make it in a short time. I can only say I’ll try my best. You need to wait quite some time.”

Seeing him actually analyze the feasibility seriously, Zhao Hanzhang’s mouth fell open. After a while, she finally found her voice. “Then… then you should give it a try.”

Zhao Hanzhang began straining to recall physics knowledge learned in junior and senior high school, finally digging a bit from the depths of her memory. “What about batteries?”

Fu Tinghan smiled. “That’s not so difficult. If we can make vacuum tubes, we can definitely produce qualified zinc and copper sheets. The simplest batteries use aluminum, zinc, tin, iron, copper, silver, and gold. Any two of these combined can transmit electric current. Zinc and copper have good transmission effects, so we can use those two. The technology might not be great, efficiency far below modern standards, but as long as we can make them, using them like in the nineteenth century is possible.”

“In the future when technology advances, we can also use carbon rods and zinc to make dry batteries, or use lead dioxide to make reversible batteries.” Fu Tinghan grew more excited as he spoke. “I still prefer reversible batteries. Dry batteries become unusable after depletion, but reversible batteries can be repeatedly recharged.”

As a mathematics professor, how could he only study mathematics?

His physics knowledge was no less than his colleagues in the physics department. Sciences are interconnected, especially mathematics and physics.

Fu Tinghan became excited, even more invested than Zhao Hanzhang. He directly pulled her to look at the map.

This wasn’t a theoretical difficulty. He knew all the theoretical principles. This was a technical difficulty requiring reverse engineering.

Whether Fu Tinghan had previously made glass, refined iron and steel, or water mills and hydraulic forging machines, he had only been conscientious, not particularly excited or challenged.

Because the technologies involved could all be achieved by skilled craftsmen of this era. What he did was merely combine their techniques or make slight improvements.

What they lacked wasn’t technology but ideas. If he didn’t mention it, in a few decades or centuries, someone would think to take this small step forward.

But electricity was different.

This world had no electricity.

They truly needed to create it from nothing, and the technologies involved could only be made by him, no one else.

When he studied, whether batteries, vacuum tubes, or electrical wires were all ready-made. Now everything needed to be reverse-engineered bit by bit.

If previously he stood ahead pointing the direction, teaching them to choose the correct path, now he had to clear a path through thorns and wilderness for those behind him.

This sense of achievement was no less than solving math problems. Both made him very happy.

He pulled Zhao Hanzhang to the map. “This mountain forest area is very large, so transmitting directly between these two points is difficult. Fortunately, this area is mostly farmland. As long as it’s not rainy weather, we should be able to reflect it from here. The time will just be a bit longer…”

But compared to current information transmission speed, the small amount of time for curved electrical wave transmission was completely insignificant.

During World War I, wireless telegraph was already applied on battlefields, transmitting over thousands of kilometers. Fu Tinghan felt it was definitely possible now too.

However, to do this, he first needed to form a team.

Before Zhao Hanzhang recovered her senses, Fu Tinghan had already entered the next phase, turning to ask, “Give me Wei Jie.”

Zhao Hanzhang came back to herself. “Who?”

Fu Tinghan: “Wei Jie. And also Ji Shuyan. I think they can be my deputies.”

Among those who pledged allegiance to Zhao Hanzhang, Fu Tinghan had contact with all. These two were relatively interested in material motion and had some research and talent.

Zhao Hanzhang blinked. “Wei Jie is currently in Luoyang. As for Ji Shuyan, I remember he’s in the army?”

Ji Shuyan, from Wuxing, had originally come with Tianmen Geng Zhou, Yingchuan Yu Yi, and others to persuade her not to fight with Gou Xi, thus walking into a trap, cough cough, pledging service.

In any case, after that, Ji Shuyan stayed in Luoyang, studying with Zhao Cheng.

When news of the Xiongnu’s southern invasion reached Luoyang, he immediately strapped on his longsword, left the Imperial Academy, and went straight to Beigong Chun. However, after Beigong Chun tested his martial skills and horsemanship, he politely declined.

Ji Shuyan, hurt and angry, was about to run to Yuzhou to find Zhao Hanzhang. When leaving, he happened to encounter Fu Tinghan, who had come to discuss military matters with Beigong Chun.

He didn’t disdain Ji Shuyan’s poor horsemanship and mediocre martial arts. No matter how poor, he wouldn’t be worse than Fu Tinghan. No matter how mediocre the martial arts, at least he had some. In Fu Tinghan’s view, warfare wasn’t just about martial prowess but also intelligence and strategy.

Like himself, unable to charge into battle on horseback, he could be a strategist in the rear. With good tactics and proper execution by generals, wasn’t that also victory?

Although Fu Tinghan ultimately discovered Ji Shuyan wasn’t particularly good at strategy either, his intelligence was still very high, so he kept him in the army’s logistics.

When Fu Tinghan called for him, he was calculating how long the newly collected provisions would last them.

Hearing Fu Tinghan summoned him, he took the ledger, thinking he wanted to ask about provisions.

The guard who came to fetch him led him directly to the main tent.

Ji Shuyan’s eyes brightened. He immediately tucked the ledger in his clothing and eagerly quickened his pace.

Secretary Fu had finally seen his military talent and was recommending him to Inspector Zhao to lead troops into battle?

Ji Shuyan arrived at the main tent entrance and straightened his clothing before requesting an audience.

Fu’an came out to invite him. “Master Ji, please come in.”

Ji Shuyan entered to see Fu Tinghan and Zhao Hanzhang, one sitting and one standing, writing and discussing something at a desk.

Seeing Zhao Hanzhang, Ji Shuyan immediately stepped forward excitedly to salute, about to present his views on this great battle and the strategies he’d been pondering lately…

“You two talk.” Zhao Hanzhang waved dismissively, straightened up, turned to walk to another desk to sit, and began reviewing official documents.

Ji Shuyan’s belly full of words stuck in his throat. He looked at Zhao Hanzhang, then turned to Fu Tinghan.

Fu Tinghan beckoned him over, having Fu’an add another high stool so they could calculate while talking.

Ji Shuyan silently stepped forward. Looking at the paper covered in things he completely couldn’t understand, he asked, “What is this?”

Fu Tinghan said, “Currently information transmission is slow and expends considerable manpower and resources, and isn’t safe. When enemies stand between us, information between allies and military units not only transmits slowly but also risks being intercepted and leaked. So I want to research communication radio stations.”

Ji Shuyan: “Secretary Fu speaks reasonably, but what is a communication radio station?”

He understood everything except the last four words.