A few hours ter, Ethan left the restaurant and continued exploring the city. Zhao Ren was driving the carriage while Ethan attentively observed his surroundings. His thoughts, however, were elsewhere. Throughout his life, he had worn gsses. They had become an extension of himself, a deeply ingrained habit that even now, in a body with perfect vision, he couldn't ignore.

  He adjusted the bridge of non-existent gsses with an unconscious gesture and sighed. Although he no longer needed them, there was something about their absence that made him uneasy. They were more than just a tool for seeing; they were part of his identity.

  He decided to approach a jewelry store to pce a special order. He wasn't looking for functional gsses, but an accessory. Something that would maintain the image he had projected for so many years in his past life. A golden frame, discreet yet refined.

  As he entered, the soft chime of bells announced his presence. The interior was a reflection of the city's wealth and refinement. Dark wood dispys showcased rings, neckces, and bracelets set with precious stones.

  An elderly man with a well-groomed beard and embroidered tunic greeted him with a slight bow.

  "Welcome, young master. How may I assist you?"

  Ethan let his gaze wander around the pce before replying.

  "I want to pce a special order," he said calmly.

  "A thin, lightweight gold frame, with a refined design. It should surround the lower contour of two rounded lenses and be supported by a firm bridge. No embellishments."

  The elderly man nodded slowly while stroking his beard.

  "It is not common, but I have seen simir designs among some schors. We can make the frame to your specifications."

  Ethan nodded, satisfied. Just as he was about to close the deal, something in one of the showcases caught his attention. Among the jade and pearls, a wooden box dispyed several crystal quartz stones, precisely cut and polished.

  He approached and took one of them. He held it up to the light and observed its transparency. It wasn't perfect like modern gss, but it wasn't completely opaque either. An idea formed in his mind.

  "Can this material be cut into thin sheets and polished further?"

  "It is possible," the elderly man shot him an intrigued gnce before nodding slowly.

  Ethan left the stone in his palm and smiled faintly. While he no longer needed gsses to improve his vision, adding crystal quartz ptes to the frame would make the gsses look more authentic.

  "Use them for the frame," he ordered, pcing a bag on the counter.

  "I want the pieces to be thin and smooth, without imperfections."

  The elderly man smiled discreetly upon seeing the payment in advance.

  "We'll have it ready in a few days."

  Ethan nodded after discussing the details with the elderly man and turned to leave. Zhao Ren, who had remained silent throughout the transaction, followed him with an indifferent expression.

  After leaving the jewelry store, Ethan returned to the family vil. The first thing he did was inspect the basement, which would serve as his temporary work area.

  Upon arrival, he found that the servants had already cleaned the pce, but it was still nearly empty. Only a few shelves lined the walls, holding jars of aged wine. On the floor, several boxes contained the materials he had requested, but there was no suitable furniture for working.

  "Go and tell the servants to bring a rge table, a sturdy desk, several chairs, and some extra oil mps. I'll also need shelves to organize the materials and a lockable chest," Ethan ordered Zhao Ren, who was guarding the basement entrance.

  "Right away, young master."

  Zhao Ren left without asking questions.

  Making use of his time, Ethan began pnning the yout of the basement. It wasn't a particurly rge area, barely about twenty square meters, with low ceilings and a single entrance.

  He decided to pce the desk and work table near the main oil mp to take advantage of the light, with the shelves lined up against the walls to maximize space. He would also leave an open area in the center for easy movement.

  As he mentally reviewed his design, he heard Zhao Ren's footsteps returning with the servants. Soon, the first work area began to take shape.

  ----

  Three days passed quickly. During that time, Ethan had not been idle. He refined his future pns, adjusted every detail of his production and sales strategy with AION, making sure to optimize resources and minimize risks.

  He leaned back in his chair, narrowing his eyes for a moment, instructing AION to show the detailed pn.

  [Initial Procedure: …, Distribution Phase: …, Market Segmentation: …, Scability Protocol: ...]

  Ethan nodded slightly. Everything was in order. Now, it was time to execute.

  He called Zhao Ren, and together they headed to the bcksmith shop of the old Zhang. The journey was equally calm, and they soon arrived at their destination.

  Upon entering, they were greeted by a young man who bore a certain resembnce to Zhang Tie. His name was Zhang Jin, the other son of the old Zhang.

  Unlike his brother, Zhang Jin had a more serious and reserved demeanor. Even so, he stood up and gave a slight bow.

  "Welcome, young master. My father is in the back, please follow me."

  Without another word, he turned and led them deeper into the bcksmith shop.

  Ethan followed Zhang Jin through the shop. The heat of the red-hot metal and the sound of the hammer striking the anvil filled the air, but Zhang Jin led them to a quieter area in the back.

  There, the old Zhang was inspecting a set of pieces carefully id out on a table. Upon seeing Ethan, he stopped what he was doing and gave him a smile.

  "Young master, your orders are ready. Everything has been forged according to your specifications."

  Ethan approached and examined each piece calmly. He had no reason to doubt the old Zhang's skill, but still, he checked for any imperfections. The pieces had the right weight and bance, the finishes were clean, and there were no signs of weaknesses in the joints.

  After a moment, he nodded in satisfaction.

  "Good work. This will be enough for now."

  The old Zhang let out a ugh and crossed his arms.

  "If you need more orders in the future, don't hesitate to come. As long as this bcksmith shop stands, you can count on us."

  Ethan pced a cloth bag with the payment on the table.

  "I'll keep that in mind."

  Zhao Ren gathered the pieces and efficiently loaded them onto the carriage. With nothing more to discuss, they bid their farewells and left the bcksmith shop, making a brief stop at the jewelry store to pick up the previous order.

  Upon entering, the old jeweler immediately recognized them and, without needing words, retreated to the back of the store. Moments ter, he returned with a small cquered wooden box. He carefully opened it, revealing the gold-framed gsses.

  Ethan took them and examined them closely. The frame was thin yet sturdy, with a refined shine. The quartz lenses were well-polished, with no visible imperfections or rough edges. He pced them on with a natural movement and blinked a couple of times, getting used to the sensation.

  He didn't need gsses to see, but the familiarity of the weight on his nose felt strangely comforting.

  "Fwless work," he commented, satisfied.

  The old man nodded with a slight smile. "If you ever need another order, my shop is always open."

  Ethan put the box away. "I'll keep that in mind."

  With the matter settled, they returned to the carriage and headed back to the vil.

  Back in the vil's basement, Ethan inspected the pieces once more before beginning the assembly. Zhao Ren, without needing instructions, carefully unloaded each component onto the worktable.

  Ethan took the main vessel, a reinforced copper cauldron, and pced it on a metal stand. Its base was wide to ensure stability, and at the top, it had an opening where the conduction tube would fit. He sealed the connection with a mix of cy and ash, an effective method to prevent steam leaks.

  Next, he took the spiral copper tubing and pced it on an elevated stand. Its function was to cool and condense the vapors as they passed through. To improve the cooling, he pced a ceramic container around the spiral, which he would ter fill with cold water.

  Finally, he installed the collection vessel at the end of the tube, a simple gzed cy jar. He made sure the tilt was just right so that the flowing liquid wouldn't get trapped in the tubing.

  When he was done, he stepped back and observed the setup closely. It was a simple design, but functional. It wasn't the type of work he would do in a real boratory, but given the circumstances, it was enough to get started.

  "Prepare the fire, but not here," he ordered without taking his eyes off the still. "This pce doesn't have enough ventition. Take it to an open area."

  Zhao Ren nodded without questioning and, with the help of some servants, moved the equipment to the vil's backyard. There, the fresh air would disperse the vapors, and the fire could be controlled more safely.

  Meanwhile, Ethan adjusted his gsses and double-checked the connections one st time, making sure everything was in pce. His pn was just beginning.

  "Fill the cauldron with wine and seal the lid tightly."

  Zhao Ren took one of the wine jugs and poured its contents into the copper vessel. Meanwhile, a servant firmly secured the lid, adjusting the metal cmps to prevent leaks. Ethan checked the connection between the cauldron and the conduction tube, ensuring the joint was airtight.

  "Light the fire."

  An orange glow illuminated the base of the still as the burning charcoal began to heat the cauldron. Slowly, the liquid inside started to rise in temperature. Ethan crossed his arms and waited in silence, observing the process carefully.

  It didn't take long before he noticed the first changes. After a while, steam began to rise through the tube, condensing on the copper walls before passing into the cooling coil. To improve efficiency, he ordered the servants to pour well water into the container surrounding the coil, keeping the temperature low so the steam would quickly turn into liquid.

  Small droplets began to slide down the outlet pipe, and eventually, a thin, transparent stream of liquid began to flow into the collection vessel. Ethan took a ceramic jar and dropped a few drops onto his palm. He brought the sample to his nose and smelled it carefully.

  "The scent is strong… but it's still not pure enough."

  He knew that the first distiltion contained impurities, so a second distiltion was needed to refine the result.

  "The next batch will be cleaner."

  With patience, he allowed the process to continue, collecting only the middle part of the distilte, the fraction with the highest purity and best fvor. Finally, when he noticed the aroma starting to change, he separated the st portion.

  By the end of the night, several ceramic jars with refined liquor were lined up on the table. Ethan observed them calmly.