Alexander VII was accompanied by a large clergy corps, probably a hundred people in total. Fortunately, the eight-hundred-ton steamer did not carry much cargo on the return journey, so there was enough space for the priests.

But at this time, seeing the car that could advance and retreat automatically, none of the more than 100 priests could say a "son ugly". Although these priests have visited the ship's steam engine on board these days, the steam engine is so large that it is two rooms the size of the ship's steam engine, which is absolutely impossible to install on a car.

The priests couldn't understand how a car about the size of a horse-drawn carriage could move autonomously.

Cardinal Klaus, who was beside Alexander, stared at the three cars with his eyes wide open, unable to speak. His face became more and more nervous, and he said with some distraction: "Satan, this is Satan's machine. ”

Hearing Klaus's whisper, the nearby priests panicked. They usually lived in Rome in central Italy, a city that had never traded with China, and the clergy knew about China from a few words from Western Europe. In the descriptions of Western European sailors and sailors, Chinese technology and weapons are undoubtedly like witchcraft and ghosts.

It can be said that because of the rumors of confusion among Western Europeans, the clergy in Rome were already a little afraid of Li Zhi, worried that Tianjin was really a place full of supernatural powers. At this time, seeing the horseless automatic car, the priests were sure of one thing - everything here in Tianjin was powered by Satan's magic.

A young priest suddenly turned white, screamed at the car, and fled in a panic towards the cabin.

The reason he ran to the cabin was to avoid Satan's machine, but he ran too fast, tripped on a mop on the deck, and threw a dog on the steel deck with a plop.

The priest's nose immediately bleed, and the white priest's uniform turned into a large flower face.

Although King João IV of Portugal had long been a vassal of Li Zhi, this was actually the first time he had arrived in Tianjin, and he had never seen a car. João IV was ignorant of the new means of transport that had never been exported overseas. So he opened his mouth wide and looked at the young priest who was stumbling on the deck, and then at the cars on the road on the pier, and was speechless.

The Europeans on board fell silent. You must know that it is the Holy See Pope who is on board now, and the Holy See is completely intolerant of magic and witchcraft. In Europe, witches were burned by the Inquisition as soon as they were discovered.

If Li Zhi really has the magic of the devil, can Alexander VII, as the Catholic Pope, still go ashore to negotiate with the devil?

Cardinal Klaus shook his body and said, "Your Majesty, I don't think you can stay here for long. We told Emperor Li Zhi that we could not go ashore and let the ship go back. ”

João IV looked at Klaus in surprise and his mouth moved. João IV, after all, was a descendant of the Germanic peoples, descended from the nobility who had slaughtered from the Black Forest of Northern Europe to the Iberian Peninsula. Unlike the Latins of southern Europe, the descendants of the Germanic peoples were passively converted to Catholicism.

Even if Li Zhi is the devil, João IV will cooperate with Li Zhi for the sake of profit.

João IV thought for a moment and said, "My lord, I don't think things are so terrible. Let's go ashore and see..."

However, Alexander VII was more calm than João IV.

Before the King of Portugal could finish speaking, the Pope made up his mind. He took a breath and said, "Since we have come to Tianjin, we have to take a closer look at this incredible city." Even if this is a city of witchcraft and demons, we can't just run back! “

The cardinal was about to speak, but was stopped by the Pope with a wave of his hand. Alexander VII waved his robe and strode to the side of the ship. When the Chinese sailors on the dock had a brand new gangway in place, Alexander VII led the Priesthood off the ship.

John Tong strode up and saluted the Pope.

The Pope and John Tong exchanged a few words in Latin, and soon figured out John Tong's current identity.

The sixty-four-year-old is now an associate professor at Fanjiazhuang University's School of Astronomy and an officer at the Center for the Study of Western Culture of the Great Qi Dynasty. In other words, John Tang is now a low-level academic bureaucrat in Daqi. As for the missionary work, John Tong had ceased altogether.

This is completely different from the original intention of the Holy See, which sent John Tong to China in the hope of spreading Catholicism to the East.

Hearing John Tong's introduction, Alexander VII's face became very gloomy.

Also in the procession to greet the Pope and the King of Portugal was a deputy mayor of the Acropolis of Tianjin, but this deputy mayor did not speak much, so it was mainly John Tong who was on the docks.

John Tong pointed to the three cars parked on the road and said, "Please ask His Majesty the Pope and His Royal Highness the King to get into the car." “

Hearing John Tong's words, Alexander VII's face turned white.

João IV asked in surprise: "We... We... Which car are we going to ride? “

Tang Ruowang nodded and said, "This is the best vehicle in Daqi, and it is a welcome car specially allocated by the deputy mayor. “

Bishop Klaus finally couldn't take it anymore and shouted, "We don't ride in the devil's car!" “

Hearing Klaus's words, John Tang and the deputy mayor of Tianjin beside him were stunned. They looked at the extremely nervous Pope and João IV, and then looked at each other.

John Tang burst out laughing.

"Your Majesty, this is not the devil's car! It's a car! It's the power of the machine! “

Alexander VII glared at John Tang, but did not speak because of his identity.

João IV took a breath and asked in Latin: "What machine can be moved by itself without a horse?" “

Tang Ruowang smiled and said, "Your Highness, this is the internal combustion engine of the Great Qi Emperor. The principle of this internal combustion engine is similar to that of a steam engine on a ship, but the internal combustion engine is much smaller, about the size of a large box. The internal combustion engine is installed on the car and can drive the vehicle without the need for horses. “

When the Pope heard this explanation, he looked at John Tong in amazement.

John Tang was already dressed as a Chinese at this time. He straightened the Dongpo scarf on his head and said with a smile: "Don't worry, the Pope and I will ride in the same car to ensure the Pope's safety." “

Alexander VII looked at João IV and found that the King of Portugal had gradually lost his panic after John Tong's explanation. And the priests behind him were not qualified to ride in the car, so after hearing the explanation of John Tong's "own person", they were not so panicked.

The Pope nodded and said, "In that case, then sit... Car bar. “

John Tong smiled, walked over and opened the car door, and took the Pope into the car. The first car sat the deputy mayor of Tianjin, João IV sat in the middle car, and the Pope sat in the back car.

The driver spun the flywheel a few times in front, and the convertible shook a few times and started to start. The Pope sat on the leather couch in the back seat, clutching the door of the car, his eyes wide open, as if he would be swallowed by this incredible machine at any moment.

John Tang looked at the Pope's appearance, with a faint smile on his face, thoughtful.

The car moved, smoothly, and drove along the road, at a slow pace of twenty kilometers per hour. Alexander VII gradually calmed down and began to observe the scenery to the left and right.

But at this time, it was already very late, and the car was driving for a while and it was dark, and it was not easy to see the surrounding things clearly. The workers on the docks also gradually slowed down, as if waiting for something.

The Pope wanted to take a good look at the huge port of Dagu in Tianjin, but he couldn't do it at this time, and was about to say that it was a pity, but suddenly he saw that countless bright lights were lit up in the entire port at the same time.

It was like an archmage suddenly unleashing a terrifying magic that lit up the entire Dagu port in an instant.

One by one, the blinding street lamps were activated at the same time, illuminating the otherwise dim dock. The dock workers, who had been slow because of the darkness, started again, and Dagu Port entered the hustle and bustle again.

Alexander looked at the harbor as bright as day, at the incandescent lights like fires and silver flowers, completely forgetting decency and manners, and couldn't help but open his mouth wide.