Chapter 1317: Lord Perturabo's

At two o'clock in the afternoon, Viktor was in his office reviewing reports when Aila walked in hurriedly.

"Chief, a ship is requesting to land."

Viktor looked up.

"What kind of ship?"

Aila looked at her Data Pad.

"It's from Xiuluo Holy Star. An engineering ship. They say it was sent by Lord Perturabo."

"Lord Perturabo? Let me see, hmm, indeed there is."

Aila nodded.

"Yes. They say they are here to help us build infrastructure."

Viktor stood up and walked to the window.

"Let them land. Arrange for a reception."

Aila nodded and turned to leave.

An hour later, a medium-sized engineering ship landed at the temporary Spaceport outside Freedom City.

The hatch opened, and a burly, stern-faced middle-aged man walked out.

He was wearing Iron Warriors work clothes, with Perturabo's emblem pinned to his chest, and holding a Data Pad in his hand.

Behind him followed dozens of technicians also wearing work clothes.

Viktor stepped forward to meet them.

"Welcome to New Hope Star. I am Immigration Bureau Chief Viktor Soladin."

The middle-aged man nodded and extended his hand.

"I am Markus, the head of the Engineering Team sent by Lord Perturabo."

Viktor shook his hand.

"How did Lord Perturabo know we needed an Engineering Team here?"

Markus smiled.

"Lord Perturabo said that the infrastructure of a new colony planet is almost zero. No roads, no water supply, no power supply, nothing at all. He told us to come and see, and to help as much as we can."

A flash of emotion crossed Viktor's eyes.

"Lord Perturabo is very thoughtful."

Markus shook his head.

"Not at all. He said this was just a 'by-the-way' matter."

Viktor was stunned for a moment, then laughed.

"By the way. Lord Perturabo's 'by the way' is never just by the way."

Markus also smiled.

"You understand him too?"

Viktor nodded.

"I've heard. His 'by the way' is more attentive than others' deliberate efforts."

Markus looked toward the city under construction in the distance.

"Chief, could you take us to see it? We need to understand the situation before we can formulate a plan."

Viktor nodded.

"Of course. Please."

Viktor took Markus and his team for a drive around Freedom City.

The roads in the city area were still dirt, muddy on rainy days and dusty on sunny days.

The houses on both sides were simple prefabricated units; although clean, they did not retain heat well.

Water supply relied on a few temporarily dug wells, and power supply relied on a few old generators.

"The conditions are very difficult."

Markus said.

Viktor nodded.

"But it's much better than where they lived before. Previously, they lived in sheds at the mines, leaking wind and rain, freezing to death in winter and dying of heat in summer. Now at least they have a place to shelter from the wind and rain."

After a few seconds of Silence, Markus said.

"Lord Perturabo said it cannot just be 'better than before'. It must be 'good enough'."

Viktor looked at him.

"Good enough?"

Markus nodded.

"Yes. Good enough. That is, to let people live with dignity. Not cold in winter, not hot in summer, water is clean, power is stable. Children can go to school, patients can see a doctor. This is what 'good enough' is."

"Lord Perturabo is indeed different."

Markus said.

"He is just that kind of person. He doesn't say it, but everything he does hits the mark."

They arrived at an open space in the east of the city.

Markus got out of the car, squatted on the ground, and touched the soil with his hand.

"The geology here is good, suitable for building a water plant."

He stood up and said to the technicians behind him.

"Measure the groundwater level and make a detailed geological report."

The technician nodded and began to work.

Markus turned and said to Viktor.

"Director, we need a map of this place. Mark the locations of water sources, power points, residential areas, hospitals, and schools. Based on this data, we will design the road, water supply, power supply, drainage, and communication systems."

Viktor nodded.

"Very well. I will have the Adjutant prepare it."

That evening, Markus was in the temporary office, analyzing data with his team.

On the Holographic Star Map, every corner of Freedom City was marked: residential areas, medical stations, schools, canteens, warehouses, and the Spaceport.

The red lines were the existing dirt roads, the blue dots were water wells, and the yellow dots were generators.

"The road system needs to be replanned."

An engineer said.

"The existing roads are too narrow to handle future traffic volume. Furthermore, there is no drainage system, so it turns into a mud pit on rainy days."

Markus nodded.

"Following the standards of Lord Perturabo, the main roads must be at least twenty meters wide, with four lanes in two directions, and sidewalks and green belts on both sides. Secondary roads shall be fifteen meters wide, with two lanes in two directions. Branch roads shall be ten meters wide. All must use permeable materials, and the roadbeds must be solid."

Another engineer said.

"For the water supply system, we need to build a water plant. We will draw water from the river in the east of the city and supply the entire city after purification. At the same time, we must lay water supply pipes to cover every residential area."

Markus said.

"The pipes must have a capacity margin. As the population grows in the future, demand will increase. If we lay small pipes now, we will have to dig them up and relay them later. It is better to do it right the first time."

The engineer nodded.

"Understood."

A third engineer said.

"For the power supply system, we currently rely on generators, which are costly and unstable. We need to build a power station. There is plenty of sunshine here, so we could consider solar energy. Or a small fusion reactor, the kind Lord Perturabo developed."

Markus thought for a moment.

"A fusion reactor. Solar energy is affected by the weather and is unstable. A fusion reactor can provide a stable power supply, and the maintenance costs are low. Lord Perturabo's design is safe and reliable."

He looked at Viktor.

"Director, how much power do you need here?"

Viktor thought for a moment.

"The current total population is two hundred million. Including factories, schools, and hospitals, the total load is approximately..."

Markus interrupted him.

"No need to calculate it too precisely. Lord Perturabo's design has a standard module. One module can supply the power needs of five hundred million people. We will build two modules first and leave room for expansion. When the population increases later, we can add more modules."

Viktor nodded.

"Good. We will listen to you."

Early the next morning, Markus took his team to begin the on-site survey.

They conducted aerial photography of the entire Freedom City and the surrounding area to collect topographical data.

The engineers walked through every planned road, using instruments to measure the soil's bearing capacity.

Viktor accompanied them for a portion of the way.

"Markus, is Lord Perturabo usually this busy on the Xiuluo Holy Star?"

Markus smiled.

"Busy. Extremely busy. The new city project in the East District isn't finished yet, the heating system in the West District needs to be retrofitted, and the drainage pipes in the South District need to have their materials replaced. He also said he wants to build a children's home specifically to take in war orphans."

Viktor asked.

"Then how does he still have the energy to manage us here?"

Markus said.

"He said that the work on the Xiuluo Holy Star must be done, and the work on the new colonial planet must also be done. We cannot just focus on the Xiuluo Holy Star and forget about the people in other places."

He paused.

"He said, 'If it's a "by the way" matter, just do it while you're at it.'"

Viktor smiled.

"It's 'by the way' again."

Markus also smiled.

"He is always like this."

They walked to the river in the east of the city. The river water was clear and flowed slowly.

Markus squatted down, scooped up a handful of water, and smelled it.

"The water quality is good. It can be drunk directly after purification."

He said to the technician behind him.

"Take a water sample and go back to test it. Determine the purification plan."

The technician nodded and began to take samples.

Markus stood up and looked at the city in the distance that was under construction.

"Director, Lord Perturabo asked me to pass a message to you."

Viktor looked at him.

"What message?"

Markus said.

"He said, 'The people of New Hope Star have suffered for too long. Letting them live a good life is our responsibility.'"

"Understood."