Steel torrents pioneering a different world.

Chapter 324 Going with the Flow! What is a Port Construction Plan of Industrial Cthulhu Level? (Please Subscribe)

As the saying goes, one monk has water to drink, two monks can carry water to drink, but three monks have no water to drink!

When a third party enters a marital relationship, conflicts are bound to arise.

When alliances involve third parties, a lot of trouble and controversy are bound to arise.

While triangular relationships in architecture are the most stable, triangular relationships in alliances are prone to problems.

In any case, after seeing the demands of the personnel in the rear of the other two tribes, Commander Man could even foresee that if the cooperation with the guys from the two tribes went on for too long, the plan to clear the border would probably be dragged into a mess and waste a huge amount of resources.

And then the project ultimately failed!

"Madman, I really want to shoot those guys all down!"

The thought arose in his mind, and Commander Man's chest heaved, his anger rising to his head.

However, Su Mingjin, who was sitting not far from him, slowly put down the documents in his hand, and a playful smile appeared on his face.

"Commander Man, calm down. At this time, why not try a different approach?"

"President Su, I don't understand. They're really pushing their luck! We're only showing them our strength now; we're being very restrained!"

'

Su Mingjin smiled and poured a glass of water for Brigade Commander Man: "Brigade Commander Man, they're not treating us like fools. They've clearly handed us the knife on their own initiative."

Commander Man was taken aback, his anger and murderous intent suppressed. He frowned and looked at him: "President Su, what do you mean by that?"

The people in the conference room immediately fell silent!

Su Mingjin lightly tapped her fingertip on the smooth tabletop; the sound was soft, yet it clearly resonated throughout the entire conference room.

"They want three times the amount, so we'll approve three times the amount. However, we'll decide how the supplies are distributed and to whom they go."

"Uh, haha—you mean—"

Although Commander Man was straightforward, he was a general who had led troops for many years and his mind worked very quickly.

"Bypass their command post and distribute the supplies directly to every elf and dwarf warrior." Su Mingjin's smile deepened. "We'll nominally provide them with one-third of the supplies, sending them to Liers and Elene to save face. The remaining two-thirds will be personally delivered by our people, camp by camp, squad by squad, to the soldiers at the front!"

"This—this might be overstepping my authority and could cause trouble, right?" Commander Man hesitated for a moment, but his eyes were bright, clearly eager to try.

This approach is tantamount to directly slapping the face of the other party's top management.

But this is really fun!

"A dispute?" Su Mingjin chuckled and countered, "Would they dare to have a dispute with us?"

"We're just concerned about our allies' soldiers, making sure every supply is used effectively, so that our brave warriors are well-fed and clothed. What's wrong with that? If they dared to openly oppose us, do you think their soldiers would think?"

"They can't exactly tell their soldiers, 'You don't deserve such good supplies,' can they? Even if they confiscate these supplies later, haha—"

A psychological warfare tactic!

An unsolvable problem!

The light in Commander Man's eyes seemed to turn into flames. His mouth, filled with suppressed emotion, twisted into a crooked, dragon-like shape.

Human hearts are too hard to fathom.

Since ancient times, the most difficult strategies to counter are those that subtly attack the mind and the heart!

The concepts of good and evil within intelligent races are chaotic and ever-changing.

Putting myself in their shoes, I reckon those guys will end up losing more than they gain.

Not far away, Su Mingjin's assistant, Liu Chang, seeing everyone's reaction, smiled and gave a thumbs up: "President Su, brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Commander Man's idea is also excellent. This should be precise delivery, bypassing middlemen and directly delivering warmth to customers—"

No, it's delivered to the hearts of our Allied comrades!

Su Mingjin's other assistant, Xiao Chen, nodded repeatedly, looking on with admiration.

"Haha—General Su is amazing! They wanted supplies, right? We'll give them plenty!" Brigade Commander Man slapped his thigh, his previous anger transformed into a surge of fighting spirit. "I'll see whether Liers and Eleanor will thank us or hate us then!"

Su Mingjin picked up her teacup, gently blew on it to cool it, and calmly added her final words.

"Then it's settled. Oh, and pass the word that the logistics personnel we're sending to assist with the distribution of supplies should remember to bring recording equipment."

She paused, a meaningful smile curving her lips: "We must clearly record the deep affection that humanity has for its allies."

"Hehehehe————"

A cheerful sound suddenly filled the meeting room.

In the modern world, there is a network of underground oil pipelines built by various parties.

With a final, deafening roar, the massive cutterhead of the tunnel boring machine broke through the soil and rocks, appearing before everyone's eyes.

The massive infrastructure construction campaign, which lasted for six months, has finally come to an end.

This underground passage is a multi-functional transportation pipeline, consisting of two completely isolated roads with an underground railway above it. It can function as a subway and can also be used to secretly transport troops. The facility is primarily designed to disguise itself as an outsider.

The side can transport large quantities of water from the southeast and through the South-to-North Water Diversion Project to the vicinity of Zhuhe City, and it is publicly stated that it can supply drinking water for at least one million people.

In places unobservable by humans, there are also construction channels for oil and water resources.

These areas are equipped with explosion-proof, vandal-proof, and internal/external isolation features.

It was a special, large-scale project involving feigning one's intentions while secretly advancing another.

The entire project took six months to complete and involved a large number of engineering soldiers.

It will remain in absolute secrecy for the next 30 years.

As Li Weiguo watched the tunnel boring machine appear, he joined many others who had participated in the project in applauding.

Once this road is completed, the pressure on the reclamation team to transport and resupply materials will be greatly reduced. Some top-secret units and projects will use this large underground tunnel for transportation.

He joined the engineers and workers around him, covered in mud and their faces etched with exhaustion and excitement, in applause.

The applause echoed through the empty underground passage, lasting for a long time.

With this strategic passage buried deep underground and covered with a special anti-reconnaissance coating, the logistical pressure on the land reclamation team will be fundamentally alleviated.

Many top-tier devices and personnel that need to be kept secret and cannot be exposed to the light of day will safely reach the other world through here.

After completing the tedious but necessary wrap-up work, Li Weiguo, his legs feeling like they were filled with lead, hurried to his next destination.

It was a sanatorium with absolute secrecy.

Pushing open the door, several elderly people with gray hair and frail figures were sitting by the window, quietly watching the scenery outside.

Besides these elderly people, there were also some soldiers in their seventies and eighties!

Their bodies may have decayed, but their eyes remained frighteningly clear.

Some elderly people had lived in anonymity, but when the call to action was issued, they came here without hesitation.

"Elder Zhou, Elder Yuan, Elder Sun—" Li Weiguo stood up straight and called out solemnly.

Each of these scientists is a pillar of scientific research in their respective fields. And these veterans have a history of distinguished service.

They dedicated their lives to the cause and now deserve the highest respect and a peaceful old age.

However, in the obituaries published by the outside world, these brilliant stars of the scientific community, or heroes, have "fallen" for various reasons.

"Little Li, stop with the nonsense." The old man, known as Old Zhou, turned around. His name was Zhou Cang, a leading figure in nuclear physics. His temper, like his profession, was stubborn and inflexible. He had been an assistant in the second-generation Miss Qiu project. "We old fogies have all crawled out of our coffins and come back up again. What can't we hear? Tell me, what is it?"

Li Weiguo gave a wry smile, knowing that any preamble would be superfluous in front of these elderly people.

He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Professors, what I am about to say concerns your new students, and is even more complicated than that."

He paused for a moment, then placed a document on the table.

"The dwarves possess a warrior's potion that can greatly enhance physical functions and even revitalize aging organs. If the injection is successful and the side effects are overcome, it can add decades to one's lifespan!"

The expressions on the faces of the elderly professors changed instantly.

They had received subtle hints when they came before.

This time, the person in charge finally told them formally!

"What about the side effects?" Old Sun adjusted his glasses, getting straight to the point.

"It has a tremendous impact on the body cells of the elderly," Li Weiguo said with difficulty. "According to the data we obtained from the dwarves, the older the user, the less lucid their mind, and the higher the probability of failure. For those under forty, the success rate is over 95%. Once they are over seventy, the success rate drops precipitously to below 50%."

The youngest person here is seventy-eight years old.

This is no longer gambling; it's risking your life for a 50/50 chance.

The conference room was deathly silent.

Li Weiguo felt a tightness in his chest; he felt like a sinner who had lured the pillars of the nation to their deaths.

"Heh," Professor Zhou Cang suddenly chuckled, picking up the document, a glint of light flashing in his cloudy eyes. "A low success rate doesn't mean it's impossible. Xiao Li, you haven't gotten to the point yet. The higher-ups went to all this trouble to dig us old coffins out of the ground, not just so we could find a new place to drink tea and bask in the sun, right?"

"We need your wisdom." Li Weiguo looked at the elderly people in front of him and said, word by word, "The civilization, technology, and ecology of this other world are all new challenges. We need your brains to continue burning for our motherland."

Zhou Cang slammed the documents on the table; the sound wasn't loud, but it was resounding.

"Then what's the point of all this talk?"

He looked around at his old comrades, and both Yuan and Sun smiled knowingly.

"After a lifetime of scientific research, to be able to personally participate in such a fascinating biological experiment at the end of my life—haha, it was all worth it for us participants!"

"I'll record all my physical data, especially brain cell activity—that's firsthand information! If I die, let the medical students dissect me. And they should kowtow to me a lot, haha! Me too!"

Looking at this group of "fearless" old professors, Li Weiguo felt his eyes well up with tears.

Zhou Cang stretched out his withered hand and pointed at Li Weiguo: "Where's the medicine? Bring it here. I'll go first."

He grinned, revealing a set of teeth that were almost all gone.

"I'll see if this dwarf's thing is stronger, or if my will is stronger!"

"Gentlemen, due to certain reasons, you will first need to go to another world. You will undergo acclimatization training and nutritional supplementation. Only after your physical functions have been activated to a certain extent can you take the Warrior's Potion."

It's a new potion after all. The more humans study dwarf stuff, the higher the success rate will be.

These professors have dedicated their lives to the country; we can't let them down.

After explaining things clearly to these leading figures in gerontology and having them record their statements to ensure their cooperation and support for any future promotional activities, Li Weiguo finally returned to his residence by car.

Upon entering the office, Li Weiguo collapsed heavily onto the sofa, his bones aching from days of running around.

He didn't even have the energy to turn on the light, letting himself sink into the sofa.

Until a steady footstep approached from afar.

Immediately afterwards, a warm yellow floor lamp was turned on, dispelling the dimness in the room.

"Mr. Li, you've been working hard lately."

The newly transferred assistant, Pan Guanyue, gently placed a document on the coffee table.

He is thirty-five years old, with short hair, calm eyes, and a military-like efficiency in his movements. He is a skilled worker who has worked his way up from the bottom.

Li Weiguo half-opened his eyes and watched Pan Guanyue pour tea, too lazy to even move a finger.

"Pan Guanyue, take note." He closed his eyes, his voice full of exhaustion. "A group of veteran heroes and elderly scientists will be sent to another world soon. You will personally draft the procedures and have someone follow up on the entire process, especially the medical team. Everything must go perfectly."

"Yes, Mr. Li." Pan Guanyue's voice was calm and composed. "These matters have been marked as top priority. I've already spoken to the medical team; they're on standby 24/7 to ensure their safety at all times!"

This reassuring answer made Li Weiguo feel a little better.

He yawned deeply, stretched, and his joints cracked softly.

"How's the cooperation with the otherworldly three-race alliance going lately?"

Pan Guanyue handed Li Weiguo a cup of tea at just the right temperature, making sure he held it firmly before speaking slowly and deliberately: "The fighting spirit and capabilities of the frontline soldiers are commendable, but—"

He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts.

"But the noble lords of the two clans in the rear are truly an eye-opener." Pan Guanyue's tone was tinged with mockery. "President Su just sent the latest summary report today, and the situation of the front lines being in dire need while the rear is being overfed is extremely serious."

"Oh? Tell me, what new tricks have they come up with this time?" Li Weiguo became interested.

"President Su's exact words were, 'Extravagant spending, falsified accounts, and outrageous pretense,'" Pan Guanyue quickly relayed. "The elves demanded that we mix some medicinal herbs into the military rations we provided, saying that these herbs could soothe the elven warriors' minds and ensure the stability of their magical casting!"

"But according to intelligence investigations, that stuff is just a sweetener that tastes good, but aside from being incredibly difficult to produce and ridiculously expensive, it's completely useless!"

"This is just the basics; they want nearly three times the amount of supplies!"

"The dwarves are even more direct, demanding alcohol before and after battle, and in double the usual amount. They call it 'to boost morale in battle.' Well, their resource consumption has increased by 50% compared to a normal team."

Upon hearing this, Li Weiguo laughed instead.

He picked up his teacup and took a sip, a sharp glint flashing in his weary eyes: "The elves are making more demands, the dwarves are just increasing the quantity of supplies, and they want to lift the alcohol ban? Right?"

"Yes, Mr. Li. The dwarves asked for 50% more, while the elves are getting almost double the supplies. Mr. Su has decided to distribute these directly to the lower levels!"

"Good idea." Li Weiguo put down his teacup, sat up straighter, and his previous fatigue vanished. "However, Mingjin and the others only see these nobles lining their own pockets, preparing to amass a fortune. That's a bit one-sided!"

Pan Guanyue nodded: "What does President Li mean?"

"From another perspective, this is also a test." Li Weiguo's knuckles tapped lightly on the sofa armrest. "They are testing how deep our logistical capabilities are, testing whether we will compromise on their requirements, and also testing where our bottom line is."

Pan Guanyue seemed to be deep in thought.

"That girl Mingjin probably thought of this too," Li Weiguo laughed. "That's why she brought recording equipment to slap them in the face. This way, we'll show them that we've seen through their tricks, and we'll also warn them not to try anything funny."

This move was like cutting off the lifeline of those foreign nobles who abused their power and lived by exploiting the lower classes.

"Do we need to add anything?" Pan Guanyue asked hesitantly.

"No need to add anything, just add this speculation. They probably already know these things, they just haven't mentioned them in detail!" Li Weiguo leaned back on the sofa, his tone much more relaxed. "Let her do it."

He paused, a smile curving his lips.

"Since our dear allies are still worried about our strength, let's teach them a lesson on what it means to undermine them from the bottom up!"

"yes!"

In another world, at a tranquil harbor, the weather is rather bright today.

A steel ship used to test the waves sailed in from a distance.

The deliberately blaring, piercing whistle shattered the harbor's tranquility, startling a flock of seabirds that had never seen anything made of steel before.

Bellergas, the former negotiator, is now the dwarven ambassador responsible for liaising with humans and is also the third-ranking figure in the military and security affairs of the Tranquil Harbor dwarves.

At that moment, he and some others were standing on a newly leveled piece of land, looking at the ships in the distance.

He looked fine, but the elven ambassador Ethan beside him did not.

Even though he had been here several times, the elven ambassador still did not feel comfortable here.

The changes here are truly enormous.

It changes almost every day.

A gust of wind swept by, carrying the smell of fuel mixed with the fishy odor from afar.

In the distance, human engineers and dwarves were transporting the fish they had just caught nearby.

Upon smelling the odor, Ethan's nose wrinkled slightly, seemingly unaccustomed to the mixture of engine oil and dust in the air.

"You shouldn't have come here to suffer!"

Because supplies were still being moved from New Erigian City and construction in Tranquil Harbor was not yet complete, the three races chose to establish a joint embassy in Tranquil Harbor.

The dwarves have formed a triangular peace alliance with humans and elves to jointly address the problem of the celestial convergence.

However, during this period, the three races were engaged in a great deal of intrigue and negotiation.

Humans were very satisfied; they obtained many good things through negotiation.

The elves are in a bad situation; they have suffered heavy losses.

The dwarves were quite satisfied because a large area of ​​the Tranquil Harbor area had been allocated to humans.

After many days of construction, the human settlement has now undergone a complete transformation.

Industrial Cthulhu allows humans to achieve extremely high construction efficiency. In areas with abundant saline-alkali land, rapid-build ports based on large-scale reinforced concrete foundations and precast cement slabs have already begun construction.

It's breathtaking from afar, but up close it leaves the elves feeling terrified and numb!

"Please look, gentlemen." Humanity representative Dou Jiankang, a warm smile on his face, gestured towards the bustling construction site in the distance. "That's the dock we've reserved for 100,000-ton ships. In the future, a super-large pier capable of accommodating thousands of vessels will rise here!"

His voice was loud and clear, drowning out the distant roar.

"We estimate that this port alone can provide stable jobs and livelihoods for at least half a million dwarf brothers!"

Dwarves possess many technologies that allow them to navigate the oceans in relatively safe areas.

These technologies fill the gap in human ships' ability to navigate the ocean.

With this technology, humans began to build shipping routes specifically for the journey from the natural, ice-free deep-sea port of the Milk River in the far north to the tranquil port of the dwarves in the south.

The ambitious construction plan envisions this place handling at least hundreds of millions of tons of cargo annually.

Bellergas's dark face twitched, as did his thick beard.

Five hundred thousand!

The number made his heart skip a beat.

He came from a declining branch of the royal family and climbed his way up from the bottom, eating black bread. If it weren't for the appreciation of a noble person, he would have been killed on the spot.

He was well aware of the hardships faced by people from the lower classes.

He felt powerless against the relentless oppression of the lower classes by the dwarven nobles, and he had no idea how to change it.

But then humans came.

They brought hope.

Compared to Bellagas's excitement, Ethan's heart was in turmoil.

A 100,000-ton ship?

The elves also have magical sailboats, but compared to this, they're probably like small sampans.

And what about the work of those 500,000 dwarves—what are humans trying to do?

Did they take over the entire dwarf kingdom—no, at least all the lower-class dwarves within a radius of several hundred kilometers?

He couldn't help but recall the material demands that the noble lords of his tribe had made of humans a few days ago.

Compared to this miraculous sight, those attempts seemed like child's play, laughable and pathetic.

They are still testing humanity's logistics, but humanity has already built logistics bases right on their doorstep!

Hey!

Ethan's Adam's apple bobbed, and he felt a little thirsty.

Dou Jiankang seemed oblivious to the elven ambassador's odd behavior. Pointing to a steel fishing boat that was already taking shape, he continued, "This is all thanks to the technology provided by our dwarven friends, which has effectively reduced the chances of those big guys locking onto us in the Devil's Sea. Now, our boats can safely conduct fishing operations in coastal waters."

77

These words brought a look of pride to Bellergas's face.

He was proud that the dwarves' skills could be of help.

The ancestors are so wise!

Just then, a slight tremor came from the ground.

A giant truck, as tall as a three-story building, loaded with a full load of sand and gravel, slowly drove past them with a deep roar.

The wheels rolled across the ground, leaving deep ruts.

"The 'Hundred-Ton King,' that's the common name we gave it," Dou Jiankang's deputy, Wang Kaixuan, added with a smile. "It's specially made for moving mountains and filling seas. Friends of both races, if you're interested, we can sell it to you; we can even offer a discount!"

Moving mountains and filling seas?

Discount?

As Ethan watched the steel behemoth disappear into the distance, a chill ran down his spine.

With the continuous wars, magical energy particles have become increasingly stable and sluggish, and ancient forbidden spells now require ever greater sacrifices to unleash.

The elves once possessed the ability to move mountains and fill seas.

But now, the magical rituals for opening up forests and nurturing crops have become inflexible.

Although the magical particles became active again after the celestial convergence, their activity rate was not particularly fast.

Humans, on the other hand, directly used metal and steel to create things to fight against nature.

Perhaps they will become stronger after absorbing magical knowledge?

Why----

We can't compete!

They can't compare at all.

With profound emotions, the envoys from both nations toured the port construction site.

Before we knew it, it was lunchtime.

Dou Jiankang smiled and insisted on being a good host, taking everyone to dinner.

Ethan didn't want to go because he had witnessed the extravagance of human meals.

But Bellergas just arrived recently!

In the end, the envoys from both tribes followed Dou Jiankang to the main dining hall.

The cafeteria was bustling with activity and filled with delicious aromas.

"Gentlemen, since we're here to eat, let's enjoy ourselves! I'll just wander around on my own now!"

After speaking, Bellegas went to find a place to queue.

Some dwarves shrank back when they saw him dressed in luxurious clothes, but they quickly returned to normal.

Bellergas, carrying his own plate, squeezed into the line of dwarf androids.

He spotted a dwarf with his mouth greasy from eating.

"Hey, buddy!" Bellergas slapped the other man on the shoulder.

"Uh, sir?" The dwarf named Brok was startled, almost spitting out the meat in his mouth, and quickly stood up to bow.

"Sit down, sit down, no need to stand up." Bellergas gestured to the mountain of stir-fried pork with chili peppers piled on his plate. "How's it?"

"You—you won't—"

"Don't worry, I'm not one of those nobles! I climbed my way up from the bottom too! By the way, my name is Bellergas!"

"You are Lord Bellegas?" The dwarf's previously reserved expression instantly turned into one of worship.

Bellergas had only been here a few days, but he had already helped a lot of the lower-class dwarves.

His name is known to many people.

"Haha, yes, I have a few questions for you. How was the food you were eating? Has it always been like this?"

"Fantastic! Fantastic!" The dwarf's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "Lord Bellegas, you have no idea! Ah, this thing called chili pepper is both numbing and spicy. Eating it makes you sweat all over, and you have energy to work! Three dishes and a soup every meal, plus this big-eared mutton, it's so fresh!"

As he spoke, he shoved another large mouthful of food into his mouth, adding indistinctly, "Thank you to the great ancestor Gaizur, thank you to our human friends! And thank you to the kind Lord Bellegas for helping us lowly dwarves."

Looking at the dwarf's face, which had once been sallow from hunger but was now rosy and glowing, Bellegas's eyes welled up with tears.

He laughed and punched the other man lightly: "Alright, then do a good job! If anything happens in the future, go to the dwarven embassy, ​​go to our newly established workers' union! We'll back you up."

He ate a few bites of food and noticed that some of the dwarves were very reserved, realizing that he had probably made them nervous.

Bellegas smiled, picked up his food, and went to the human side.

Bellergas thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

Seeing the genuine joy of these dwarf humans, whose complexions changed from pale and thin to healthy and radiant, Bellegas felt even happier.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Ethan looked at the exquisite dishes on his plate, but found it hard to eat.

His mind was filled with the grand vision of human health.

I felt even worse.

Thinking about how the nobleman in charge of logistics had tacitly allowed him to make exorbitant demands, he felt like his hair was about to fall out.

I shouldn't have resorted to such petty tricks anymore.

In the face of absolute power, all probing is meaningless.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the dwarf Bellegas and the elf Ethan followed the human Dou Jiankang's observation team to continue inspecting the port.

The group arrived at another well-planned area.

This is a workers' quarters built by humans for the dwarves.

Rows of brand-new three-story cement buildings have sprung up, neat and uniform, with bright and clean windows.

Although the style is simple and there are no superfluous decorations, it is nothing short of paradise for the lowly dwarves who are used to living in dark and damp caves.

As the elf Ethan looked at these buildings, which were devoid of any aesthetic appeal yet exuded a cold efficiency, his expression grew increasingly complex.

Bellergas's joy almost radiated from his thick beard.

He saw many dwarves resting in the open space in front of the building. Some were smoking cigarettes made by humans, while others were grooming their beards with newly developed tools, their faces radiating a relaxation they had never seen before.

Bellergas knew these dwarves all too well.

They are all ordinary people from the bottom of society who can't afford to buy a house, can't find a wife, and whose hard-earned wages are barely enough to make ends meet. They don't even dare to get sick.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, they will be abandoned by society and become pitiful creatures on the verge of death!

Now, they have moved into a new house, their sallow complexions have been replaced by a rosy glow, and their thin bodies have become visibly stronger.

Before they even got close, they overheard many conversations among the dwarves.

"Haha, I'll soon be able to save up enough money to buy myself a new outfit! Human friends' stuff is really nice; even though it requires work points and money to buy, it looks so pretty on me!"

"Ugh... Work with humans, and you'll eat your fill! I knew humans were pretty good!"

"Ha ha----"