Steel torrents pioneering a different world.

Chapter 325 We will build a megacity here to accommodate tens of millions of people (Bonus Chapter)

The distant noise pleased Bellegas, but it sounded extremely jarring to the elves.

For reasons that are not easy to say openly, the elves have imposed many restrictions on the lower elves, and sometimes only a small number of male elven nobles have the right to reproduce.

The private desires, passions, and pleasures of the elves are suppressed by the upper class, and are even illegal.

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Dwarves often say that elves are two-faced, and this is a point they frequently make fun of.

Dwarves have Gruul to play with, but what about elves?

Some people undergo magical alchemy training to reduce certain unspeakable desires within themselves.

Some people can only do it secretly behind closed doors —

If those people who need to receive magical baptisms every day come into contact with these guys for too long, their hearts will become corrupted and their minds will become restless!

The thought of mind magic gave Ethan a headache.

Magic is not a panacea. If elves come into too much contact with humans and witness large-scale interactions between humans and dwarves, and develop too many personal opinions, it might lead to the extinction of the elves.

They'll at least become just like those fallen elves.

Aren't those indulgent individuals afraid that evil beings will use their lust to transform them once again into something neither elf nor demon?

Ethan was in pain.

Bellegas gestured for everyone to be quiet, as he listened from the side to his dwarven compatriots' vulgar but well-intentioned banter and conversation.

The laughter carried far and wide, making Bellergas even happier.

"Hey—stop talking, stop talking!"

"What's wrong?"

A dwarf pointed behind him.

Upon seeing the envoys from the three races appear out of nowhere, many of the lower-ranking dwarves either stood up in a panic or remained silent, their bodies tense.

"Gentlemen, you all chat, we're just passing by, hahaha—"

After saying that, he smiled and waved before heading off to inspect other areas.

The dwarves who had just gathered together to chat finally breathed a sigh of relief!

"Thankfully, that official didn't investigate us further!"

"Why delve into it? I remember that official; he seemed to have come from the bottom up as well, and he had compassion for us!"

"Then let's find more friends and work with our human friends."

The dwarves whispered among themselves.

Work alongside humans, and you'll have plenty to eat every day.

This simple and blunt statement represents the consensus among all the lower-class dwarves of Tranquil Harbor.

Working alongside our compatriots means tightening our belts every day, and we're constantly facing wage deductions, as well as various forms of suppression and reprimands!

Sometimes, they even need to relieve themselves and act as servants in order to learn the most basic knowledge.

However, working for humans means three dishes and a soup every meal, with meat at every meal. Wages can be paid weekly, and regular employees are paid weekly. Humans never delay payment!

This multiple-choice question is so obvious that even a fool could answer it.

Rotten Fish, who had just returned from the toilet, watched as the many dignitaries left and, after inquiring about the situation, breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"Everyone, get some rest, it'll be time to get to work soon!"

Rotten Fish, having been among the first to work with humans and possessing a fairly good mind, has become a foreman managing ten people by actively learning human language.

He was just taking a break with his small construction team and some of his fellow workers when he went to the restroom. He never expected this to happen.

Fortunately, neither their human friends nor their benefactors blamed them, and their friends didn't say anything to express their anger.

"I'll get paid soon, and after this, my family's immediate financial crisis will be solved! I'll apply to become a monthly wage earner and a full-time employee."

19

There are several types of work involving humans.

The first type is settled every six days, with one day off per week. Three meals are provided during this period, but only wages are paid.

The second option is a monthly salary, with two days off per week, though you can choose to work overtime on those two days, which will significantly increase your pay. Regular employees will enjoy benefits in addition to three meals a day.

For example, issues such as healthcare, education, housing allocation, and subsequent elderly care.

Although dwarves' retirement insurance is only given after they turn 150, compared to the average lifespan of dwarves of about 200 years, they can get it after working for 80 years, which is still a good thing!

Besides this, what Rotten Fish values ​​most is medical benefits.

Once you become a full-time employee and work for a certain number of years, you can afford to cover more than 80% of the medical expenses if you get sick or injured later.

Some time ago, a human friend was doing a free clinic. His friend's elderly mother took some medicine and her high fever and diarrhea stopped, and her inflammation was also greatly relieved.

High fever and inflammation are serious illnesses that can be fatal among the lower-class dwarves.

Most people who are short cannot afford the cost of treatment.

If her father had had the medicine from her human friend back then, he might not have died.

These drugs also made the rotten fish more inclined to cooperate with humans.

With that thought in mind, Rotten Fish then led his team to work.

Meanwhile, on their way to other places, the three-race inspection team, which had been wandering around aimlessly, saw Bellegas's satisfied expression and interjected with a smile: "Ambassador Bellegas, we have to thank you for stepping in the other day, otherwise our project progress would have been affected."

Upon hearing this, Bellergas waved his hand, his expression somewhat strange, a mixture of headache and a hint of satisfaction.

"There's no need for thanks; it's just my duty."

It turned out that a few days ago, several local dwarf craftsmen's guilds, ship owners and merchants from Tranquil Harbor joined forces and stormed the construction site to cause trouble.

They attempted to use dwarf clans and traditional customs to forcibly bring their workers back and make them work.

Well, because humans provided job opportunities, food, and shelter, the dwarves spread a lot of news to Tranquil Harbor after working for a few days.

The lower-class dwarves were originally the beasts of burden for the middle-class dwarves and nobles. As long as they were fed and given a little hope, they could be exploited to their heart's content.

Who knew that the appearance of humans would give dwarves a great many more choices?

The act of digging up the foundation of the walls caused many of the dwarves' traditional industries to come to a standstill.

For example, laborers, night soil collectors, fishermen, weavers, and laundromats among the dwarves were all severely exploited. Yet, through human labor, these dwarves managed to eat and drink to their hearts' content.

Moreover, their lives have visibly improved.

The dwarves, accustomed to a life of hardship with the dwarves, were restless, and the dwarven nobles were filled with fear.

It was a perfectly legitimate recruitment process for humans, which was insane to the dwarves.

That means digging up the base of the wall.

Fearing the strength of humans, the dwarves analyzed previous negotiation terms, secretly contacted or lured those who had suffered losses in the past, and mobilized a large number of dwarves in an attempt to drive out the humans.

Then, after learning about the situation, Belegas, who had just arrived, immediately joined forces with the human forces to capture a large number of dwarf leaders.

Bellegas later arrived at the scene and told his fellow humans directly: "Times have changed. Even our great ancestor Geizul has recognized us as human friends. Do you want to go against the will of your ancestor, or do you want to talk to this behemoth about your old rules?"

The troublemakers were devastated when they saw their superior acting like this.

Some dwarves wanted to continue fighting to the end, but the oppressive feeling of death from the steel behemoth made these dwarves, who had not yet been driven to their deaths, dare not break off relations.

Meanwhile, the propaganda team members, armed with megaphones and driving huge bulldozers, blocked the way for the dwarf nobles and merchants, repeatedly explaining the working conditions for humans.

This blatant undermining, coupled with the dwarf who was bound by ropes and led the chaos, completely crushed the dwarfs' morale.

They receive excellent treatment and work opportunities, and the humans also provide a wealth of valuable knowledge that they can selflessly teach to the dwarves.

Ultimately, this chaos was quelled before it could erupt.

It was also because of Bellegas's initiative to help that humans and Bellegas reached more cooperation.

Today's visit to the three ethnic groups was achieved based on the cooperation of the previous meeting.

In fact, when Bellegas dealt with that matter, although he had a headache, he was also angrily cursed by his fellow dwarves as an ingrate who harmed their interests.

But he felt incredibly happy inside.

Those who used to be high and mighty, saying one thing and doing another, and treating the lower classes like cattle and slaves, are finally getting a taste of defeat.

This is perhaps what some dwarves mean when they say, "When the heavens arrive, good days are coming!"

As Ethan listened to Dou Jiankang's nonchalant account, he sighed inwardly once again!

Damn it!

Humans are inherently powerful with strong ships and cannons, but their ability to subdue others silently and imperceptibly is even more terrifying.

Without using a single soldier, but only with plenty of food, new houses, and stable wages, they easily dismantled the social foundations of the dwarfs that had existed for thousands of years.

This is far more terrifying than a conquest by a massive army.

Even though Ethan's people undergo daily spiritual magic baptisms, most of them are not people with strong mental fortitude.

I hope that my fellow countrymen in the kingdom will not harbor any disloyalty.

Just then, Dou Jiankang pointed to a vacant lot not far away and said with a smile, "Bellegas, Ethan, this is the newly built residential building ahead. In the future, this place will be developed into a multi-functional residential area!"

"Over there, we've already planned it out. Besides building suitable communities for our dwarf brothers, we'll also construct schools, hospitals, and libraries!"

"Our human ideal is not only to ensure everyone has enough to eat and wear, but also to provide them with knowledge and health, so that their descendants can also have a brighter future!"

Upon hearing this, Bellegas looked at the promotional posters for the comprehensive community hanging in front of him and imagined a bright future.

Although he didn't say much, his beard trembled slightly, revealing the deep turmoil within him.

When Ethan saw the large poster in front of him, he felt a chill run down his spine.

He suddenly realized that if humans used the same methods to recruit them, what choices would his fellow human beings make?

The other party is not simply building things up, but is also cultivating a new class of allies who share common interests with them!

This kind of work, where interests are intertwined, is hard to separate; we are all interdependent, and the two groups will definitely have more exchanges in the future.

This is detrimental to the future stability of the kingdom!

For some time afterward, Dou Jiankang led the two groups of observers to visit some more places.

For example, more detailed city and port plans that have already been created.

"In addition to the ship docking piers mentioned earlier, we will also build a massive steel ship repair yard here, transforming the tranquil port into a key transportation hub in the future. These plans, spanning more than twenty years, are the key to the future navigation of tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions, of tons."

"The tiny boats you saw before were just experimental vessels! This is the new boat we're going to build! It's currently being designed and is expected to be launched within a year."

Bellegas stared at the scaled-down ship model in front of him, his face showing undisguised shock.

Humanity's strength is truly terrifying!

Perhaps only the dwarves of the Golden Age can be compared to them!

Unfortunately, much of the history of the dwarves during the Golden Age has been lost, and they themselves are not entirely clear about how much they have lost.

"In short, the urban planning of Tranquil Harbour is very large. If all goes well, we plan to develop it into a large harbor city that can accommodate at least three million permanent residents within the next twenty years."

"Of course, three million is not the limit. The area near Tranquil Harbor is excellent. If it is suitable, it is possible to build a city that can accommodate tens of millions of people."

"A population of tens of millions?"

The combined population of dwarves and elves is only a little over ten million.

This is outrageous!

Dou Jiankang smiled and led everyone to a large viewing platform that had been temporarily built specifically for the exhibition of the two ethnic groups.

First, there are human cities, followed by a realistic animation of a peaceful future port city.

Thanks to advancements in human technology, the dwarven port city before us is presented in an almost lifelike CG animation.

This was a very impactful approach for dwarves and elves who rarely watched cartoons.

Countless giant ships shuttle through the deep blue harbor, like industrious worker ants.

High-rise buildings rise from the ground, their glass curtain walls reflecting a dazzling light in the sunlight.

The city is well-planned, with wide roads bustling with traffic, and large forest parks dotting the landscape like emeralds.

Around the city, futuristic factories are operating efficiently, yet not a trace of black smoke is visible.

This painting is not only magnificent, but also full of vitality.

Bellergas looked at everything before him, his Adam's apple bobbing, and a laugh rang out again from his thick beard, but this time, there was a barely perceptible tremor in his laughter.

"Within twenty years? Can these really be built?"

Dou Jiankang did not answer directly, but patted the dwarf leader's broad shoulder, his smile revealing a sense of self-assurance.

"Friend, on our home planet, there is a city that has grown from a small fishing village into a massive metropolis with tens of millions of people in just twenty years. For us, this is just routine."

These understated words are more powerful than any guarantee.

The last trace of doubt on Bellergas's face vanished, and a smile spread across his lips, almost impossible to suppress.

Ethan, standing to the side, remained silent throughout.

Her face appeared somewhat pale in the shifting light and shadow. With humanity's unfathomable power, they truly were capable of accomplishing all of this. She had no doubt.

From morning until now, they have seen too many mind-blowing things.

Human friends are indeed keeping their promises; they provide the dwarves with jobs, food, and even knowledge to help them rediscover that golden age of openness and civilization.

But all of this, in Ethan's eyes, was a deadly poison disguised as honey to the elves.

The banquet was lively in the evening.

Ethan made an excuse to leave early; she needed to be alone.

As she walked out of the brightly lit banquet hall, the laughter and cheers behind her seemed like they belonged to another world.

"Alas, the High Priests and the others are still secretly planning to continue cooperating with the cave-dwelling half-humans, but they—"

Ethan looked at the dim sun outside: "What will become of my people? Has the Mother Goddess truly encountered some problems, as that mysterious giant said?"