Steel torrents pioneering a different world.

Chapter 347 A Kingdom Ruled by Gods and Religion! Road Construction Project! Dragon Knight Damon! (Bonus Chapter)

On the other side, in another world, at the portal base.

While the neon lights of the city over there are still shining, morning has already arrived here, and a new world is beginning to restart.

Su Mingjin opened her eyes, her body feeling as if it had been disassembled and reassembled, every muscle screaming with soreness. She didn't get up immediately, but instead picked up her cup and took a big gulp of warm tea.

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The tea contained plant extracts unique to this other world. It was slightly astringent upon first sip, but then a warm current slid down my throat, quickly dispelling the fatigue that was deeply ingrained in my bones.

This is a great product developed by the base. It can effectively repair cells and accelerate metabolism. It is the fundamental health-preserving medicine that allows these pioneers to extend their working hours from ten to fourteen hours without causing too many health problems.

She stretched her muscles a little, did a simple set of exercises, and felt her body full of energy again before heading to the bathroom.

Everything in the base had a cold, metallic feel and an icy aura of efficiency above all else.

I had just finished tidying up and returned to my office when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!"

Her assistant came in, walking briskly.

"President Su, good news. The last ship of the former royal family has arrived at Glacier Port. After screening and questioning the servants on board, Comrade Liu Jianguo has uncovered many new clues about the Southern Human Kingdom!"

"Oh?" Su Mingjin perked up and took the tablet from her assistant.

The screen displayed a compiled intelligence summary, the content of which was extensive, covering more about the Fire Dragon Dynasty's religion, power structure, and so on.

The foundation of rule, customs and habits, and all other aspects.

She observed quickly, her brows sometimes relaxing and sometimes furrowing.

After two days of casual conversation, the humans learned more about the Fire Dragon Dynasty, which turned out to be nothing like the terrifying, bloodthirsty, cruel, and cunning human kingdom that the elves and dwarves had described.

The words spoken by royal servants were filled with reverence for the gods and royal power, but myths and legends were mixed with real history.

After careful analysis, language experts and psychologists were able to piece together a rough outline.

A strengthened version of the political system that combines Western feudal aristocracy with powerful theocracy, and also possesses a violent guard force with superhuman strength to rule.

"Interesting. Bloodline theory combined with theocracy, this combination has been used on Earth for thousands of years. I didn't expect it to still be so popular in another world."

Su Mingjin tapped her fingertips lightly on the screen, her tone tinged with amusement.

This so-called Fire Dragon Dynasty has been destroyed and rebuilt more than once throughout history. Coupled with the harsh climate of the God-Forsaken Continent and the occasional appearance of otherworldly monsters, the flame of civilization has been intermittent.

Knowledge was firmly monopolized by nobles and temples, and the common people at the bottom of society couldn't even read. Naturally, they believed whatever the knowledge nobles and various extraordinary nobles said.

but-

"As long as there are people, oppression will never be absent."

Su Mingjin murmured to herself, her eyes growing sharper.

She had no interest in the historical tragedies of the Fire Dragon Dynasty; she only cared about the present.

"The former king, the one known as the Mad King Iris, was overthrown because he wanted to distribute land to the common people. So what about the new dynasty?" Su Mingjin almost burst out laughing when she saw this message.

This is like a pillow being delivered to someone who's just fallen asleep.

"Perhaps the new dynasty, in order to demonstrate its legitimacy, will only intensify its efforts to protect the interests of the nobility and the temple, and carry out the old system to the very end."

The assistant nodded in agreement: "Yes, Mr. Su, the analysis team's conclusion is the same. In order to win over the people, the new king will probably redistribute the land he seized from the mad king to the nobles who support him."

"That's wonderful." Su Mingjin's lips curled into a smile. "This is a godsend for us."

She stood up and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window. Outside the window was a hazy sky and a vast industrial area in the distance. These primitive and wild landscapes had begun to be replaced by the prosperity of human industry.

"The intelligence reports that the common people in the south are living in poverty and often go hungry, but they don't seem to realize it, and even believe they are doing better than people in other places?"

"Yes, the doctrines of the temple and the propaganda of the nobles have taken deep root in people's hearts. They believe that suffering is a test from the gods, and the rule of the nobles is a gift from the gods."

"Ignorance is the best soil for rule, but also the most flammable powder." Su Mingjin's gaze seemed to pierce through endless space, landing on that distant southern kingdom.

"Since they don't know they're living in dire straits—"

She paused, turned around, and a mysterious smile appeared on her face.

"Let's focus on developing steadily for now. When the opportunity arises, we'll definitely do something kind and send them some Little Red Book (a Chinese social media platform)! Let's help them wake up to reality!"

Upon hearing Su Mingjin's words, the assistant also laughed.

After the assistant left, Su Mingjin stared blankly at the documents in her hand once again.

Su Mingjin was no stranger to the mindset of the poor in the Southern Human Kingdom.

This is just like some rednecks.

They proclaim God, believing the land beneath their feet to be the only promised land, and harbor a deep-seated arrogance toward all other ethnic groups.

People of other ethnicities believe that the rednecks oppress them, that they oppress others, and that they regard religious piety as a gift.

Treat it as piety, treat it as a noble virtue.

However, everyone is caught up in the daily grind of life!

Rednecks are forced by the high cost of living to reach out and buy various cheap industrial products from Old Zhong.

The guys were cursing and swearing all the while silently placing their orders.

They would never admit it verbally, but their actions betrayed them completely.

Ideals ultimately lost to reality.

Behind their backs, some people might say, "Wow, this smells amazing!"

The situation in the other world is even more tragic.

They don't even know to whom their lives belong.

The common people of the Fire Dragon Kingdom consider themselves appendages of the nobility and divine authority, and are not ashamed of it, but rather proud of it.

They would fight for this glory, give everything, and consider it a matter of course, a sacred act.

The records of Liu Jianguo's conversations with the royal servants reveal a suffocating sense of rigidity.

Those people's thinking has been branded by an invisible steel stamp, and they have been firmly confined to a narrow cognitive cage.

They don't know how to resist.

No, for the vast majority of devout poor people in the Fire Dragon Dynasty, the very thought of rebellion was perhaps a heinous crime of blasphemy against the gods and betrayal of their lord.

Thinking of this, Su Mingjin's thoughts drifted back to a time not long ago.

The dwarven god, the god of the dead who calls himself "Great Ancestor Gazul".

If it weren't for that mysterious person's intervention, the pioneering team would probably have fought the dwarves to the death, with their brains spilling out.

But looking at it from another angle, what about now?

Humans and dwarves became inseparable brothers, able to drink and eat heartily together, and even risk their lives for each other.

The problem with the elves was equally thorny, but Su Mingjin had already figured out the key to their change of attitude.

The mysterious man was simple and brutal; he simply beheaded the elven war faction commander.

In an instant, the world became quiet.

Su Mingjin's fingertips tapped lightly on the table unconsciously as a bold, even somewhat wicked, thought popped into her head uncontrollably.

She suddenly wanted to see what it would be like if that mysterious person also chopped off the head of the Elf Mother Goddess.

"Forget it, forget it, that's too evil!"

Su Mingjin was startled by her own thoughts and quickly shook her head, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.

"We're friends now, how could you do something like this?"

She muttered to herself, as if trying to convince herself.

Even if you really want to do something like digging up ancestral graves to wipe out your family line, you still have to be strategic.

We need to win over at least a group of people first, establish a foundation of goodwill towards us, and then wait for them to take the first step!

The great industrial Cthulhu behind the pioneering team is a synonym for purity, kindness, friendliness, peace, and law-abidingness!

How could they possibly do something so outrageous, morally corrupt, and untrustworthy?

That must be an illusion, absolutely an illusion!

Bah bah bah~

Let President Li back home think about these things. There are some magic spells in this world that can see into people's minds and memories. If something goes wrong with us, she doesn't want to be sacrificed after her soul is searched and then found out to be part of their plan!

Death is a small matter; the failure to win the struggle is a great matter!

With that thought in mind, Su Mingjin then began to busy herself with other matters that needed to be dealt with urgently.

She doesn't need to worry about military matters; she's not a professional, and sometimes she's indecisive!

Previously, it was a matter of handling special cases specially, but now a sound system has been established, and she no longer needs to manage many things.

The situation with the dwarves in the other world is relatively easy, but the elves have been quite troubled lately.

Besides this, she also needs to participate in the assembly of the steel behemoth in the other world and confirm the railway construction work in the coastal area.

The steel warship failed previous tests, and subsequent tests confirmed that the problem lay with the alloy material.

Although scientists are looking for solutions, time is too tight, and opening the Spacetime Cube is too costly. Recently, the research pressure has been extremely high.

If all else fails, humanity will have no choice but to use wood to encase steel.

The so-called "wood-clad steel" means that the main body of the ship is still made of steel, but the outer layer is made of various kinds of alien wood that have a stronger ability to absorb energy particles, which provides various protections. Furthermore, the alchemy techniques of the dwarves are used to enable it to sail normally in the Devil's Sea.

Moreover, while this might create some water resistance in the main body of the hull, it also makes the ship sturdy and allows it to be put into service quickly.

Of course, such a hull will definitely increase the cost significantly.

However, reducing the main wear and tear on the ship makes it very cost-effective!

Su Mingjin shifted her gaze from the complex warship structural diagrams to a thicker document beside her.

The cover features the words "Coastal Lifeline Project" in bold black font.

If you want to get rich, build roads first.

This ingrained truth applies equally in another world.

The pioneering team's north-south route is currently blocked, and the consumption of the Time Cube is too great. Although they can use it despite not lacking oil, the Industrial Cthulhu suffers from a severe fear of insufficient firepower and logistics.

Current air transport capacity is practically a drop in the ocean compared to the infrastructure powerhouse that is China.

Only ocean shipping capable of delivering tens of thousands of tons of cargo can meet their enormous and diverse future needs.

Now, the tentacles of Industrial Cthulhu are finally beginning to untangle the arteries of this primitive world and build a more complete logistical system.

The plan in the document was written clearly and confidently.

After on-site surveys and precise calculations, the engineering department concluded that it was entirely possible to construct a railway and supporting highway running north to south along the coastline of the Devil's Sea in about four months.

While the speed standard doesn't reach the exaggerated levels of 350 kilometers per hour found on Earth, 120 kilometers per hour is sufficient.

This speed is enough to leave all the native inhabitants of this world dumbfounded.

With this vital steel artery, even if storms rise again in the Devil's Sea and shipping is disrupted, supplies from the rear can still be continuously transported to the front lines.

Su Mingjin tapped her fingers lightly on the table. If those lunatics behind her continued to ramp up production regardless of cost and started producing in stages, the time could be shortened even further.

She quickly flipped to the last page of the report and looked at the construction risk assessment section.

None of the problems listed above concern complex geological alteration.

For industrial forces capable of leveling mountains and changing the course of rivers, that's no big deal.

The real problem can be summed up in just four words.

[The dwarves bicker]

"Heh."

""

Su Mingjin couldn't help but chuckle softly.

She picked up the phone and dialed a number: "Mr. Zhang, are you busy? Come to my office."

Soon, a middle-aged man with messy hair and a tired face pushed open the door and entered.

"Mr. Su, you wanted to see me?" Zhang Jianmin, a road exploration and construction engineer in the engineering department, grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

"Engineer Zhang, I've reviewed the railway plan." Su Mingjin pushed the documents over. "I see it takes four months to build, that's too long! Are you confident you can complete it in three months?"

"Reporting to Commander Su, technically there's absolutely no problem!" Zhang Jianmin patted his chest, his voice booming. "You have no idea, the geological conditions here are practically a godsend! As long as the materials and equipment can keep up, let alone three months, with a little effort from the brothers, we dare to open the entire line to traffic in two months! If we don't care about costs and adopt a segmented approach, we can finish it in a maximum of 25 days!"

Why does your plan say four months?

Is the project insured?

Suppressing her doubts, Su Mingjin asked directly, "Did you encounter any problems when you were communicating with the dwarves?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jianmin's face immediately fell.

"There really is! Two hundred kilometers away, there's a small group of dwarves who absolutely refuse to let our exploration team conduct tests."

He looked frustrated and confused: "Anyway, they're using the excuse of altering the landscape to prevent us from building roads. I have a feeling they're hiding something in these mountains!"

As Su Mingjin listened, a smile of interest slowly appeared on her face.

"Is something hidden?" she repeated softly, tapping her finger lightly on the table. "We offer them money and food, but they refuse. They have no shortage of supplies, nor are they afraid of our military action. Yet they're obstructing us, preventing us from building the railroad!"

Zhang Jianmin was stunned: "Director Su, what do you mean?"

"It seems we need to investigate more carefully; perhaps the dwarves have other trump cards hidden in these mountains!"

"Mr. Su, you have a brilliant idea!"

'

After Zhang Jianmin left, Su Mingjin tapped the table: "We need to get Bi Shengli and Dou Jiankang to contact the dwarf Bellegas and try to get the road open as soon as possible!"

Time flies, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.

As a new day dawned, the sun rose over the continent of the Forsaken Gods as always, and the creatures of all races began a new round of scrambling for food.

Heading north from the human Fire Dragon Dynasty, past the formidable Great Wall, you'll find a dwarf village nestled in a rather peculiar corner, right next to the Devil's Sea.

This place was once a relatively unimportant outpost, but there has been little fighting in recent years. Furthermore, it's not located on a major thoroughfare. After many years of peace, it has gradually developed into a settlement of several hundred people.

However, the arrival of an uninvited guest a few days ago completely disrupted this tranquility.

Outside the village, Damon Targaryen was pale and thin in the wind, looking frail and sickly.

He leaned on his magic sword, New Dark Sisters, with one hand, his gaze fixed on the distance.

There, his companion, the red dragon, lay on the ground, enjoying a buffet served by the dwarves.

A mountain of fish and shrimp was piled up in front of it, while a few unlucky giant crabs were still waving their pincers in vain.

A burst of flame was exhaled, and then the fire dragon began to feast.

A group of dwarves huffed and puffed as they carried huge willow baskets, watching the dragon eat, their faces filled with pain and awe, yet they dared not utter a word of anger.

"Cough—cough cough!"

A violent cough tore at Damon's lungs. He covered his mouth with a handkerchief, and when he removed it, a glaring crimson stain made his eyes grow even darker.

Damn it!

The curses and various injuries left by that great battle were more troublesome than imagined.

"Great Dragon Knight! Breakfast is served!"

A slightly awkward human voice came from behind.

A female dwarf was holding a huge wooden platter with a giant, charred fish and a whole steaming loaf of barley bread on it, enough for three strong men to have a hearty meal.

"Hmm." Damon didn't turn his head, gesturing for her to put it down.

He casually asked, "When will your military officers come to see me?"

"I—I don't know!" The female dwarf's voice trembled. After putting down the plate, she ran away as if fleeing.

Damon pulled a black crystal the size of a fingernail from his pocket and waved it above the food.

The crystal emitted a soft, green glow.

Safety.

He then picked up the grilled fish, which was almost as long as his forearm, and tore off a piece without expression.

It's been three days.

For three whole days, the dwarf made him wait.

Does he really think Damon Targaryen has unlimited patience?

He needs the dwarves' resources, and he also needs their help.

These rats don't think that by hiding, they'll obediently leave with the dragon, do they?

Just as murderous intent began to rise in his heart, a long and deep horn sounded suddenly from the depths of the village.

That wasn't a piercing warning, but rather a ritualistic declaration.

Damon raised an eyebrow and looked towards the village entrance.

A squad of dwarven guards clad in heavy armor rode on Gru beasts, surrounding an old dwarf whose beard was braided into a dozen or so elaborate braids.

The elder finally showed himself.

A cold smile curved Damon's lips.

He slowly chewed the fish, watching the group approach, his eyes showing no surprise, only a hint of amusement.