Warhammer Survival Guide

Chapter 127 Sanctuary

There was no sunlight on the morning of Fengrao No. 2.

Thick, acidic clouds obscured the stars' brilliance, turning the sky a sickly leaden gray.

Luo Wei straightened his collar. It was a gray uniform for a fourth-level clerk. The fabric was rough, and the collar was worn and frayed.

He wore an iron badge on his chest, engraved with the double-headed eagle emblem of the Ministry of the Interior.

He was going to the agricultural sanctuary of the Mechanic Church.

The truck drove along the bumpy road, its tires splashing mud as it ran over potholes and puddles.

Luo Wei sat in the passenger seat and took a rare nap.

However, the truck's stability was far inferior to that of the Chimera 1, and the shaking made him a little dizzy.

But there's nothing that can be done; Father Alpha's deep conditioning treatment is still ongoing.

When the truck began to slow down noticeably, Rowe opened his eyes.

Through the oil-stained car window, I observed the enormous object gradually becoming clearer ahead.

Mechanic Agricultural Sanctuary.

An industrial fortress built from black iron, brass, and concrete.

It stands in the heart of the Seventh Agricultural War Zone.

Many exhaust pipes pierce the sky, spewing black smoke and exhaust fumes into the atmosphere.

This reminded Rowe of the northern granary, Butcher Bill's territory.

However, the pollution here is clearly not as severe as in Bill.

This is the heart of the Fengrao II.

It is also another extreme of power on this planet, besides the Governor's Spire.

"Advisor, we've arrived."

Buck, who was driving, stepped on the brakes and stopped in front of the checkpoint outside the sanctuary.

Luo Wei pushed open the car door and jumped out.

The ground beneath our feet was paved with metal grilles, with an unknown green waste liquid flowing through the gaps.

On either side of the gate stood two three-meter-tall guardsmen.

Their bodies have undergone extensive mechanical modifications, with most of their flesh replaced by steel.

In his left hand was a giant hydraulic shears, and in his right hand was a chainsaw axe.

A red electronic prosthetic eye flashed behind the mask, coldly scanning every approaching organism.

Luo Wei stepped forward and handed over his identification card.

The machine's electronic eye shot out a red beam of light, scanning Luo Wei's identification documents.

"drop."

"Identity confirmed: Lovi Dane; Fourth-level clerk, Agricultural Executive Council; Special Agricultural Advisor."

Access Permission: Level 2.

The heavy steel gate slowly opened with a metallic scraping sound.

Lowe gestured for Buck to wait outside.

He walked alone into the steel sanctuary.

The interior of the sanctuary is quite spacious.

The dome is tens of meters high and is adorned with countless lumens.

In the very center of the hall stands a giant gear statue, a symbol of Om Messiah.

Hundreds of junior clerks and farm supervisors, dressed in grey robes, were standing in long lines, waiting anxiously at various windows.

With.

They waved various application forms in their hands.

The sounds of arguing, pleading, and the mechanical ticking blended into a cacophony of noise.

This is the epitome of an empire.

Chaotic, yet maintaining an inefficient operation under a grand order.

Lowe didn't waste time queuing.

He walked straight to the right side of the hall.

There is a dedicated passageway covered with a red carpet.

At the end of the corridor is a spacious VIP lounge.

This was specifically prepared for the granary supervisors of various agricultural war zones, as well as senior officials with special authority.

Lo Wei pushed open the door to the lounge.

The incense has a very strong aroma.

The room was luxuriously furnished, with thick wool carpets on the floor and genuine leather sofas around the perimeter.

There were already two people sitting in the room.

Lowe's gaze swept over them.

On the sofa to the left sat a woman wearing a dark blue silk dress.

She looked to be in her thirties, with dark purple lipstick and skin as white as if she had been soaking in water for a long time.

Around her neck hung an exquisite air filter, which connected to a miniature circulation system on her back via two silver hoses.

Lowe had seen her in the files; this was Mrs. Vanessa, the "Jellyfish".

The head of the Seventh Agricultural War Zone and the Southern Granary.

She controls the largest water circulation system in the Fertility 2 project, along with the algae cultivation center.

At Fengrao No. 2, water is life.

Lady Vanessa was the woman who held everyone by the throat.

On the sofa to the right sat a burly man.

He was wearing an oil-stained work vest, his exposed arms showing bulging muscles.

The left arm is a crude, industrial-grade mechanical prosthesis with scratches still remaining on it.

Half of his head was covered by a brass-colored breathing mask, which made a dull hissing sound with each breath.

This is Kruger.

Logistics officer of the western granary of the Seventh Agricultural War Zone.

He was a close confidant of Hammond, the Western Director, and was in charge of the maintenance of heavy agricultural machinery and fuel refining.

At first glance, his position is not prestigious, and his job sounds similar to that of "Old John" in the Eastern Grain Depot—just an assistant to the supervisor in handling miscellaneous tasks and managing logistics.

But now Lo Wei knows that this is just an illusion.

In order to cultivate "Grey Mule No. 1", Luo Wei sought industrial waste liquid from the western granary, and this person was the one he contacted.

After that encounter, Lowe made a point of digging into the guy's background.

Intelligence indicates that Kruger Kipping is an absolute confidant of Hammond, the "Iron Lung" of the Western Headquarters, and wields absolute power in the Western granary.

The reason for this situation is:

In order to survive, Hammond modified his lungs into a heavy "iron lung" life support system, which caused him to completely lose his ability to move and be permanently imprisoned in the life support pod.

Therefore, all matters, big and small, concerning the western granaries were actually handled by Kruger, the "logistics officer."

In a world where betrayal is as common as drinking water, Kruger has shown a rare display of "loyalty".

He held real power, but instead of killing his paralyzed old superior and taking his place, he continued to act as Hammond's mouthpiece and weapon.

As Luo Wei walked in, two pairs of eyes simultaneously fell on him.

Mrs. Vanessa's gaze was filled with curiosity.

Kruger's electronic eyes, on the other hand, flashed with undisguised hostility and greed.

"What a rare guest."

Mrs. Vanessa had obviously seen Lowe's file as well, and after recognizing him, she was the first to greet him.

Her voice, processed by the filter, has both a metallic quality and sounds very soft.

"Isn't this our great hero, Advisor Rowe?"

She gently swirled the crystal glass in her hand, which contained a pale green algae nutrient solution.

"I heard you just saw off a cargo ship that returned fully loaded, and also forged a deep friendship with that fearsome tax collector, Marquez."

Luo Wei walked over to an empty sofa and sat down.

As the newly appointed granary manager, he maintained appropriate humility in front of these veteran managers.

It appears neither arrogant nor humble.

"Just luck, madam."

Lowe answered calmly.

"Without everyone's support and cooperation in terms of supplies, it would have been impossible for the Eastern Granary to successfully complete this tithe task on its own."

"Support? Cooperation?" Kruger sneered, his voice hoarse and rough. "Director Lowe, put away your bureaucratic rhetoric. Director Hammond is very, very unhappy right now."

Kruger, his mechanical left arm resting on his knee, said, "When you signed the Environmental Treatment Agreement, you looked so troubled, like you were dealing with some kind of highly toxic hot potato for us."

"A processing fee of 35 credits per ton — Ha! We, the western grain depot, are like fools, delivering tens of thousands of tons of industrial waste to you, and even paying you to take it."

Kruger took a deep breath, his breathing becoming rapid and angry beneath his mask.

"The garbage we pay you to dispose of is actually the fertilizer you desperately need."

"Manager Luo Wei, you're trying to get something for nothing!"

"You used our money to fatten your crops, and now you want to turn around and sell the grain back to us?"

Rowe looked at the agitated Kruger.

He could read the eagerness and greed in the other party's angry electronic eyes, as if they had been fooled.

It seems that although the western grain depot was a bit slow to react, it eventually figured out the problem.

In order to meet the tithe target for the previous quarter, they not only overworked their equipment but also became ripped off by Lowe. Now they urgently need to make up for the losses.

"That's not how it works, Kruger."

Luo Wei remained expressionless and took out a beautifully packaged box of cigarettes from his trench coat pocket.

This is a low-quality tobacco supplied by Terra.

Whenever the Empire's tax-collecting fleets blot out the planet's sky.

The massive ships not only brought heavy tithes but also opportunities in the gray areas.

Crew members and their retinues, who spend most of their time navigating the void, will always take advantage of the breaks when they dock at ports to exchange goods with local powers that are not on the official list.

To put it bluntly, it's smuggling.

This pack of cigarettes was obtained by Rowe through a series of troubles, with Buck bringing Imperial coins obtained from the black market, to exchange for the cigarettes from the crew.

Although these were just defective products from Terra's production line, in the resource-scarce Abundance II, they were a more convincing form of hard currency than credits.

He took out one and handed it to Kruger, whose face was full of anger, and then to Vanessa, who was watching the show.

"Business transactions are all about the spirit of contracts."

Luo Wei lit one, took a light puff, and offered him a cigarette.

The acrid smoke circulating in his lungs kept him focused and calm.

"At that time, those industrial waste liquids were indeed highly toxic waste that would result in fines if not treated."

"I took on the legal risks and provided compliant environmental feedback forms; that's what service is all about."

"Whether I bury it or feed it to the crops is my business."

Seeing that Kruger was about to erupt again, Lowe changed the subject at the right moment, softening his tone and reassuring him, "However, I understand the difficulties faced by the Western Granary. Don't worry, I will not treat you unfairly."

"Since you two happen to be here, I'll get straight to the point: I can bring you even greater benefits."

"Greater benefits?" Mrs. Vanessa took the cigarette, sniffed it lightly, but did not light it.

She narrowed her eyes slightly and said, "Love, you're a clever man, but also a crazy gambler. You fooled the tax collectors with those 'special' grains, but you can't fool us."

Vanessa's tone became somewhat subdued.

"There's something wrong with that food."

"My algae grower analyzed the samples you sent, and the energy structure inside them is very unstable."

"Whether long-term consumption will cause problems, nobody can say for sure."

Luo Wei remained unfazed.

Because Vanessa was testing the waters.

As a powerful figure who controls water resources, she has an extremely high sensitivity to biochemistry.

"Madam, in this world, being able to eat your fill is a luxury in itself."

Lo Wei flicked his cigarette ash.

"As for side effects, that's something we'll need to consider later."

"The key thing now is that we survived."

"And we must continue to live."

Luo Wei's gaze swept across the two faces.

"Our eastern granary needs water, lots of water, to irrigate the next season's crops. It also needs machine parts to maintain those agricultural machines that are about to fall apart, such as harvesters."

"And you, on the other hand, need food and high-calorie fuel."

"We can complement each other."

Then, Luo Wei revealed his planting plan: "Next quarter, the eastern grain warehouse plans to expand production by 30%."

"This means we need more cooperation."

"Of course, if you two think the risk is too great, I can always go to Bill in the Northern Granary."

When "Butcher" Bill is mentioned, Kruger's mechanical eyes noticeably narrow slightly.

The Seventh Agricultural War Zone has four commanders: East, West, South, and North.

The four managers are both potential allies and competitors.

If Rowe completely sides with Bill, then the situation in the western and southern breadbaskets will become very passive.

What do you want?

"Kruger asked in a gruff voice."

"I want to add two hundred standard man-hours to the heavy machinery maintenance quota controlled by the western grain depot for the eastern grain depot." Luo Wei held up two fingers.

"In addition, I need a batch of high-purity industrial machine oil. Don't try to fool me with those inferior products that are mixed with water and will clog the filter."

Kruger remained silent.

He was clearly weighing his options.

Lowe could understand his caution, because "maintaining quotas" was not simply a matter of borrowing manpower.

Every approved work hour means that Lowe can dispatch the foremen and mechanics of the western granary.

It is also possible to dispatch skilled mechanized servants, blessed with basic mechanical knowledge but raised in the western granaries, to inspect and maintain critical large-scale equipment:

Large-scale deep tillage machines, combine harvesters, and threshing production lines —

What Luo Wei wants is to ensure that the old agricultural machinery in his next expansion plan will not break down at critical moments, thus guaranteeing production.

"Two hundred working hours is too many, one hundred and fifty at most."

"One hundred and eighty," Luo Wei countered.

"Deal," Kruger said in a low voice.

Lowe turned to Mrs. Vanessa and made a condition: "Madam, I need the southern granaries to supply 50,000 tons of purified water to the east this quarter."

"In exchange, I will provide you with some high-grade fuel blocks from the 'Grey Mule One'."

After the Grey Mule No. 1 was processed in the northern granary, the vast majority of it was handed over as tithes.

Luo Wei himself only had a portion left.

However, after learning that the "Star Child" clan leader could remotely catalyze toxins via a psionic network, this stockpile of food naturally...

It must never again be used as food and end up on our tables.

If given to humans, it would be a highly poisonous time bomb.

However, if used as a high-energy fuel, it makes the best use of resources.

Lady Vanessa gently swirled the crystal glass in her hand.

"Fifty thousand tons of purified water—that's no small amount. Besides, isn't using grain as fuel a bit too extravagant?"

Luo Wei smiled slightly and said, "As far as I know, algae cultivation requires a lot of clean fresh water, but the surface water of the Abundance No. 1 is already full of excessive fertilizer residue and soil salinity."

"You can only rely on heavy-duty deep well pumps to extract deep groundwater and purify it for use."

Lady Vanessa paused for a moment, as if her thoughts had been spoken.

Luo Wei continued, "Those heavy-duty deep well pumps responsible for extracting groundwater, once their conventional reserves are depleted, can only rely on biofuels to power their backup generators, which are usually old, small oil-fired units."

He held up four fingers and made a gesture in the air.

"As far as I know, once the pump is stopped for more than 4 hours, the water level in the core cultivation tank will drop rapidly, and your delicate salt-tolerant algae will die off in large numbers due to dehydration."

"The loss from that pool is probably more than just 50,000 tons of purified water, isn't it?"

"My Grey Mule No. 1" fuel blocks have a calorific value ten times higher than ordinary firewood, and burn stably. They will be your lifeline in times of power outages.

Mrs. Vanessa considered for a few seconds, then let out a soft laugh, the hesitation in her eyes completely disappearing.

"It seems you understand my business better than I thought, Manager Luo. 50,000 tons of purified water, deal!"

"I hope your 'Grey Mule No. 1' really is as amazing as you say."

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