Chapter 31: Black Iron City Construction Plan

Sakavi rejected the plan proposed by the Luo Sen Empire engineers to build a steel smelting plant in the port area without even thinking about it. Are you kidding me? Isn't it asking for death to put it there? If others attack regardless of casualties, the operation system of his territory will collapse.

But it is not suitable to smelt steel in the Minotaur's territory. The Minotaurs are in the upper reaches of the Bohe River, and coal transshipment is very inconvenient. Su Lai De said that when he was an adventurer on the Funao Plateau, he saw that after the iron ore was dug out there, it was first smelted into iron ingots, and then transferred for deep processing or sold directly.

Regarding this suggestion, Grapp raised an objection. He believed that smelting and forging should be concentrated at the Black Water Pier in the Claw Hills, where a large processing center integrating coal washing, coking, iron ore smelting, and forging should be built, and the Minotaurs on the plateau should be moved down and settled, which can not only improve efficiency but also strengthen control.

Regarding this suggestion, Sakavi thought the risk was too great, not to mention that the Minotaurs often fought with the Kobolds because they didn't pay for coal, and now they even robbed people's territory, so they might not agree. Putting these things together, if there is any accident, the entire territory's operation system will collapse, which is more dangerous than putting the smelting plant in the port.

However, he definitely couldn't refuse directly, but asked him what plans he had for the problem of racial reconciliation, how to solve the safety protection problem, and how to deal with it if there were hostile forces deliberately causing large-scale destruction.

Grapp gave an explanation: two words, suppression. Whoever doesn't obey will be killed until they obey, build the entire hilly area into a military base group, move the plateau races over for centralized management, which is convenient for control and brainwashing—no, it is to improve cultural identity and sense of belonging.

He originally wanted to send Grapp to supervise the construction of the transshipment center, but now he really didn't dare. But thinking carefully, he has been following him for twenty years, either killing and setting fire, or looting, and has never done any territorial management. Plus, the Toadmen are originally of the chaotic evil alignment, and they indeed prefer to use violence to solve problems.

It just so happens that this Sapphire Dragon from the Astral Plane is here, so take the opportunity to let him plan it. However, this Sapphire Dragon said he was very busy and would leave after supervising the construction of the port. He could draw the blueprints for the transshipment station and let Sakavi find someone to build it himself. Even if the gold coins were increased to 100,000, he would not agree to stay.

There was no way, he could only notify Yaluze to transport building materials and engineering machinery, and hurry up to start construction. Currently, the Luo Sen Empire is in a state of depression, with thieves running rampant, and there is no way to take out the resources to build a port at once. It's not that the empire is so poor that it can't scrape together these resources, but because Gnolls and Centaurs everywhere are like vultures finding carrion, ravaging that piece of land that has gone through many vicissitudes.

Merchants of the Luo Sen Empire can no longer organize large-scale merchant caravans. No one knows how long the weakness of the Luo Sen Empire will last, and Sakavi does not have much time. If the Luo Sen Empire walks out of the haze of war, the first one to target will inevitably be his ambitious self. After all, the impact of looting Weilincheng and the Loka Plain is not generally bad.

While building the port, Sakavi decided to start reclaiming the abandoned farmland in the Bohe Plain. It is already mid-October this year, and cassava can be planted in March next year. The reclamation task is mainly composed of Ogres and Lizardmen. For this reason, Sakavi ordered to mobilize another 150,000 Lizardmen to go north and 200,000 Ogres to go south to reclaim wasteland.

Normally, losing so much labor, many tribes of the two races would find it difficult to survive this winter, but Sakavi had expected it long ago and had already purchased a large amount of wheat from the Luo Sen Empire. Relying on Saravi throughout the winter and spring is very helpful for controlling the northern plateau area.

Reclaiming farmland is originally a technical job, which is very time-consuming and laborious. However, this plain has only been abandoned for three years, and the canals and wells built before are still there, and they only need to be repaired to continue to be used.

Sakavi let the Lizardmen and Ogres reclaim wasteland on the east and west banks of the Bohe River respectively. Although the farming level of the two races is not very good, and they are not very obedient, he does not have any races more suitable for reclaiming wasteland and farming.

Things can only be done step by step. If the investment is too large at once, it is easy to cause chaos. After all, these races come from the wilderness, and it is a very difficult thing to let them do things they are not familiar with.

After arranging the reclamation plan for the Bohe Plain, Sakavi planned to personally go to the Black Water Swamp to take a look. It is impossible to start construction in this place in the near future, but the preparatory work still needs to be done.

Sakavi is curious whether the Kobolds in this hilly area will smelt metal. Although in many places, Kobolds are good at mining and smelting, although their forging technology is not very good, at least it is better than not being able to.

This hilly area mainly produces coal, and Kobolds mainly focus on mining coal. Due to low-efficiency mining technology and broken tools, the amount of coal mined by Kobolds has not been able to go up, and they don't know how to wash coal or coke, so they can't earn much money to buy tools, which further aggravates their poverty.

Fortunately, this hilly area is not useless. At least there are furnaces near some Kobold tin mines. Because there is no copper produced nearby, and there are not many copper mines in the entire territory, the tin mines are not easy to sell, so the powerful Kobold tribes choose to mine coal.

After investigating the entire Black Water Swamp, Sakavi ordered the Goblins to drain the water inside and dig out the mud, paving the way for later work.

Goblins are animals that like to bully the weak. A tall Black Dragon by their side will make them work unusually hard. If it were Su Lai De, they would let people know what it means to slack off.

Cleaning up the Black Water Swamp will take at least three months. The entire territory is colder as it goes north. This swamp will freeze in December, and the construction difficulty will rise linearly at that time.

Sakavi decided to sit in command personally, letting these Goblins try to drain the water in the swamp before it freezes. At the same time, let this group of guys who are used to chaos know what discipline is.

Perhaps realizing the value of this coal and iron transshipment center about to be established, the Minotaurs from upstream actually took the initiative to come and help. This made Sakavi very surprised. He originally thought that these demi-humans in the wild would hate his large-scale construction.

On the surface, the Minotaurs seemed quite happy to come and help, so the curious Sakavi started to chat with the Minotaur team leader.

"What is your name?"

"Grand Duke, my name is Ger Blackhorn, the chief of the Blackhorn tribe near the Crimson Sanjiaozhou."

"Are these all people from your Blackhorn tribe?"

"No, Grand Duke, they are from tribes near the Crimson Sanjiaozhou, all tribes have sent people."

"Why did you send people? And how many people came?"

"We heard that a coking plant is going to be built here, thinking that we should let this good thing be completed early. That Grand Duke, I heard that those who work are provided with meals, and it's wheat porridge. Do we have meals here?"

"Yes, as long as you obey the arrangements, you will have meals. In the future, everyone in the Grand Duke's territory will be able to eat wheat porridge."

"That Grand Duke, we are used to being free and easy, can we not do any household registration certificates, and those towns? Don't worry, we will definitely not pay less taxes."

"Yes, but those who are not reorganized will be taxed, and those who are reorganized will only pay the toll for merchants."

"Grand Duke, if I say, you collect taxes, we are relaxed and free, isn't it good for everyone! You do this thankless thing, and it's useless, isn't it."

"Then how do you Minotaurs comment on this matter underneath."

"We are used to listening to the orders of our superiors when smelting and forging iron. It's just that everyone feels that you are doing something extra. The Ogres in the north speak much worse, saying that you are trying to concentrate us and torture us in this way."

"How many newborns die in your winter?"

"We are doing well here, about half die in a winter."

"Yes, half is a small number. If everyone listens to me, then not one needs to die."

"Grand Duke, we know you have money, how you toss is your business, we don't have that leisure."

"Fine, do you know what is going to be built in this place?"

"Yes, the subordinates who came to buy coal all said that a coking plant is going to be built. With this, smelting iron will be very convenient. After the news spread, people there were very happy."

"This is more than a coking plant, there is also an iron smelting plant. In the future, you will only be responsible for forging and forging iron, and production will increase."

"More doesn't mean it's a good thing! Too much can't be sold for a good price, and it's a waste of effort."

"I want to organize an army, no matter how much it is, it's not enough."

"Yes, the Grand Duke should organize an army, pull all those Ogres in the north into the army, let them come to make trouble all day long, and those Centaur bandits. I heard that you mobilized 500,000 Ogres to reclaim wasteland. If I say, it's still too few, it should be one million."

"Do the Ogres add up to so many?"

"Hahahaha! Grand Duke, you are really joking."

One month after the Minotaurs arrived, a huge group of Ogres that could not be seen to the end also came, dragging their families, saying that Minotaurs were recruited here, and they were also good lackeys of the Grand Duke, and they also wanted to contribute to the Grand Duke, and they also wanted to eat thick wheat porridge every meal.

Under unexpected circumstances, in March 1139 of the Red Moon Calendar, Black Iron City, the transshipment center, was built just like that. Sakavi originally felt that the efficiency of working in winter was too low, and it would not be too late to do it in the spring. As a result, that group of Ogres said that whoever dared not let them eat wheat porridge, they would fight with whoever.

In this contact, Sakavi found that among all the residents of the territory, Ogres were actually the most cooperative with him besides Kobolds and Murlocs. As long as they were given food, they would do anything, but their discipline was too poor.

Under the efforts of the vast number of Ogres, the port at the river mouth was also built in October. Sakavi named it "Norasien", which means the river mouth of treasure in Dragon Tongue, hoping that it could bring him huge wealth.

With the port, the entire Bohe River water transport system was opened. Sakavi, who had been losing money for six consecutive years, finally saw the dawn of profit. Money spent is money, which has always been Sakavi's principle.

Of course, this is only the initial completion of the construction task. For the territory that is a mess, there are still many places where money needs to be spent. It's just that with this golden waterway, Sakavi can break the most stubborn spiritual fortress of the demi-human race with economy. ===== CHAPTER 32 =====