Chapter 111 The old town can't be demolished? Then build a new Ryan Slowdown...
Ryan slowly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, his gaze complex and unreadable.
The reports documenting hundreds of family tragedies weighed heavily on his hands; each name felt like a needle piercing his heart. The number of children who died from drinking contaminated water was like a resounding slap across the face of this nominal ruler of the city.
He had always known the city was rotten, but he had never imagined it had deteriorated to such an appalling degree. Anger and helplessness surged within him, threatening to overwhelm him.
What Lin Yue handed over was not just a draft project, but a key that could pry open the entire power structure of Blackrock City, and also a trap that could lead to his utter ruin.
He picked up the draft and began to examine it carefully. He recognized every single word, but when put together, it was like reading a book from another world. Water diversion channels, sedimentation tanks, filtration tanks, purification tanks… these novel terms, along with the drawings of various intricate pipe and pool cross-sections, were far beyond his comprehension.
But one thing he understood: if this plan succeeded, it would fundamentally solve the drinking water problem that had plagued generations of people in Blackrock City.
This is not only a project that benefits the people, but also an unparalleled achievement that will win him the hearts of the people.
“Good…good plan…” Ryan gripped the draft tightly, “but…it’s impossible to do.”
Ryan knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This report would allow him to seize the moral high ground in his struggle against the city's deeply entrenched old forces. Once he raised this sword, he could legitimately launch a sweeping reform of this corrupt city.
But he was also well aware of how dangerous this sword was. Laying such a massive water supply and sewage system in the old city was like pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth. Behind every seemingly dilapidated house in Blackrock City, there might be intricate webs of interests and conflicts between noble families; even the ownership of every inch of land had been divided up over hundreds of years.
He could almost imagine the uproar that would ensue once the plan was announced.
As he had predicted, the news spread like wildfire.
When the rumor that "the new chief advisor is going to dig up the entire Blackrock City to renovate the water supply system" spread throughout the city, it immediately caused a stir.
"no!"
Karl, along with a group of old nobles who usually colluded with him, stormed into the city lord's mansion with great force.
“Lane, my dear brother,” Karl kicked open the study door, his face filled with undisguised anger and mockery, “I heard you’re going to listen to that outsider’s instigation and dig up Blackrock City? Are you out of your mind?!”
He pointed at the blueprints on Ryan's desk, spitting as he roared, "Do you know what's buried under this street? It's the Morton family's ancestral cellar, and under that alley is the secret armory my father built when he was young! You dare touch it?!"
A similarly bloated baron chimed in, "That's right, Lord City Lord. Renovating the city is a good thing, but we can't disregard tradition and fail to protect the private property of us nobles, can we? If any outsider can dig trenches and bury pipes wherever they want on our territory, what about the rules of Blackrock City? What about the reputation of our Kaslan family?"
"Lord City Lord, you are still young, you mustn't be fooled!"
They even spread malicious rumors throughout the city that "outsiders want to destroy the ancestral foundations," attempting to incite panic and xenophobia among the people.
Ryan looked at the group of people making such a fool of themselves and trembled with anger, but for a moment he couldn't find a reason to refute them.
A leisurely voice came from the doorway.
"Gentlemen, why are you so angry? Here, have a cup of tea to calm down."
Lin Yue carried a tray, a harmless smile on his face, and slowly walked in.
"You!" Karl was even more furious when he saw Lin Yue, and he pointed at him, about to start cursing.
Lin Yue ignored him and walked straight to Ryan's side. He gently put away the magnificent draft of the "Blackrock City Public Water Supply System Renovation Plan" and tore it in half in front of everyone.
"Lin Yue, what's wrong with you...?" Ryan was also stunned.
“Sigh,” Lin Yue sighed deeply, his face showing an expression full of regret and helplessness, “It seems I was too presumptuous. The esteemed officials are right, the history and traditions of the old city should indeed be respected. Since no one wants to be disturbed, I, as an outsider, naturally cannot force them to do so.”
His words were reasonable and insightful, leaving Karl and the nobles momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond.
"However, although the old city renovation plan has been temporarily shelved, we can't just stand by and watch those heroes who shed blood and contributed to this city continue to live in those dilapidated places where they can't even get clean water, can we?"
He turned to Ryan and said loudly, in a tone full of admiration and expectation, “Young Master Ryan, I have heard that you have always been very considerate of your soldiers and the artisans in the city. In order to recognize their great contributions to Blackrock City and to improve their living conditions, I have a small suggestion, but I don’t know if I should say it?”
Ryan understood immediately: "Brother Lin Yue, please speak."
“My idea is that instead of starting construction in the old city, we should build a completely new city on the outskirts. We can launch a ‘meritorious service resettlement plan.’ Funded by the city lord’s government, we can build a ‘meritorious service camp’ with state-of-the-art living facilities next to the newly developed factory area on the outskirts of our city for the retired soldiers who made contributions in the last defense battle, as well as the artisans who performed the best in the future factory and canteen projects.”
“In this camp,” he described an enviable blueprint, “each meritorious soldier will be allocated a sturdy and beautiful red brick house with a warm heated kang bed, a separate kitchen and bathroom. Most importantly, we will prioritize using the abandoned public water supply system here. Let our meritorious soldiers be the first to enjoy a decent life with access to purified water at any time.”
"This plan will not disturb a single brick or tile of the old city, and it will also demonstrate your care and reward for those who have made contributions. What do you think?"
A decisive kill.
Carl and his group fell silent instantly, speechless, choked by this impeccably politically correct justification.
Oppose? How do they object?
Opposing this plan is tantamount to opposing the reward of meritorious officials, and it is tantamount to making an enemy of the largest and most respected class of soldiers and artisans in the city, many of whom are relatives and friends of their own guards.
If they dared to utter even a single word of "no," Ryan wouldn't even need to lift a finger; the city's long-time discontented populace would drown them in their spittle.
Some of the more level-headed, moderate nobles had even begun to consider: if this so-called merit camp were actually built, the environment and facilities would likely be far more comfortable than their current dark and damp old houses. Perhaps they could find a way, pull some strings, and get a villa there as a private residence?
Ryan was intrigued, but then frowned. "Brother Lin Yue, your idea is good. But where will the money come from for such a large project? You may not know, but Blackrock City has been short of tax revenue for years, and most of the tax money has been used to expand the military. The treasury is empty. Even if I forcibly levy taxes on those merchants, it will only be a drop in the bucket. I can personally contribute some, but... it's far from enough."
"You don't need to worry about the money," Lin Yue smiled confidently. "This new house isn't entirely free. Depending on their contributions, some of the meritorious staff may have to pay a small amount, but it will definitely be very inexpensive. As for the rest, Hope Town can contribute two-thirds of the funding and provide all the technical support. I only have one small request: once this new community is built, half of the empty houses should belong to Hope Trading Company to house our core employees and technical personnel transferred from Hope Town and the factories in the suburbs."
"What?" Ryan and the others looked at him in disbelief. "You paid such a high price, and you only want half of the empty rooms?"
"Of course." Lin Yue shrugged matter-of-factly. "After all, I am Blackrock City's chief development advisor. Isn't it my duty to share the burdens of the city lord and contribute to the development of Blackrock City?"
What Lin Yue didn't say was: Free things are often the most expensive, aren't they?
"By the way, young master Karl, have you always been this reckless? As the eldest son, you have more opportunities and choices, so why do you always waste your time in this desolate border town with young master Ryan?"
"Haha, maybe he just wants to take good care of me, his younger brother."
"Hahaha, Young Master Ryan is right, it's good to care for him, it's good to care for him."
"You!" Karl's face darkened with anger as he listened to their mockery, and he finally stormed off.
...
The "Heroes' Camp" plan caused a huge uproar in Blackrock City as soon as it was announced.
The retired veterans and hardworking craftsmen were ecstatic. They never dreamed that they, who were usually regarded as the bottom of society and oppressed by others, would one day receive such attention and gifts from the city lord.
For a time, Ryan's reputation among the lower classes reached an unprecedented peak.
However, new problems arose one after another.
Looking at the wasteland on the outskirts of the city and the few incompetent officials under his command who only knew how to collect taxes and beat people, Ryan once again found himself in the predicament of "lacking manpower and technology".
Lin Yue then conveniently presented his second "menu".
“Lord City Lord, even a skilled cook can’t cook without rice. Without the most crucial executors and craftsmen, even the most perfect plan is difficult to implement.” He spread his hands. “You see, such a large project is definitely not enough with just the manpower in Hope Town. We must recruit talents from the artisans in the city who have a lot of skills but no way to use them.”
So, a recruitment notice for various trades, personally signed by Ryan, was posted in the most conspicuous place at the entrance of Hope Cafeteria.
Old Hans the blacksmith sat at the entrance of his deserted shop, where even mice could scurry, sighing as he looked at his hands, which had become somewhat rusty from lack of work. He hadn't turned on his forge for almost a month, and his family's food supplies were almost gone. If this continued, he feared even his ancestral hammer would have to be sold as scrap metal.
Just then, a young apprentice rushed in, panting.
"Master, Master, come quick! There's a job posting at the entrance of the Hope Canteen. It says the City Lord's Mansion and Hope Trading Company are jointly recruiting craftsmen again. This time, they're hiring even more people, and the jobs are more diverse. They need blacksmiths, carpenters, stonemasons, and bricklayers. Not only will they pay wages monthly, but they'll also provide three meals a day!"
Old Hans's cloudy eyes gleamed with disbelief.
He staggered along with his apprentice, leaning on his hammer, to the entrance of the canteen. When he saw the recruitment notice clearly stating, "We are sincerely recruiting experienced blacksmiths to participate in the research and development of new tools and building components. Excellent benefits will be provided," and below it was the bright red seal of the city lord's mansion, personally stamped by Ryan, his long-dormant heart began to pound violently.
He looked at his deserted shop, then at the stable job and three meals a day promised in the recruitment notice, and finally, surrounded by a group of fellow artisans in similar dire straits, he entered Hope No. 1 Store with a hint of doubt and a last glimmer of hope.
After registering, they were not immediately assigned to work, but were told to go home and wait for news.
Several days passed without any further developments.
Just when everyone thought this was yet another scam by the noble lords on a whim, a deep, thunderous roar suddenly came from the outskirts of the city.
"BOOM—!!!"
The entire city of Blackrock trembled slightly.
The nobles in the city, harboring their own ulterior motives, were terrified by the sudden, deafening roar. They had long heard of how the small town of Hope had defeated three thousand Red Scorpion soldiers with an unheard-of sorcery. Now, personally experiencing this power that seemed capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, they felt an even deeper sense of dread towards the mysterious young man.
In the suburban factories, the newly recruited workers were also quite frightened by the earth-shaking scene, but because they had been notified in advance, there was not much chaos.
When they curiously looked in the direction from which the loud noise came during their breaks from work, they saw that a huge gap had been blasted open in a low hill not far away. The mountain stream cascaded down the newly opened gap like a silver waterfall and flowed into a wide river channel that had already been redesigned.
A few days later, they saw a young man with dazzling blond hair arrive at the construction site. He had a gentle breeze in the forest and was Kailan, who had come from Hope Town to provide support. He was leading another team of workers to set up huge wooden wheels that they had never heard of before in the rushing stream.
Although they didn't understand the underlying principles, they witnessed firsthand the unimaginable power transmitted through intricate gears and linkages as those giant wheels slowly turned. Huge pieces of ironwood were easily shaped. Heavy millstones turned on their own, unattended…
After the woodworking group was established, the new craftsmen gradually lowered their initial guard and fear as they interacted with Kaylan. They found that this strange young man, who appeared aloof like an aristocrat and whose appearance differed slightly from that of a normal human, was unusually patient despite not being talkative. He would personally teach them how to identify the grain of wood and how to use those incredibly efficient new tools. Most importantly, his gaze never showed the slightest contempt or disdain; he treated them as equals and respectable companions.
Finally, after all the preliminary preparations were completed, the Hope Town construction team's technology demonstration, which was enough to overturn all traditional craftsmen's worldviews, officially began.
They were greeted not by arrogant officials, but by Li Ge and Tie Niu, who were also dressed in overalls and covered in dust.
There are no complicated introductions, only the most intuitive demonstration of overwhelming productivity.
"Welcome, fellow veterans," Brother Li said with a simple smile, leading them to the construction site on the outskirts of town. "Our town mayor said that the best introduction is to see it for yourself. We won't do any of that formality; let's see the work and the skills directly."
Tie Niu skillfully operated a giant frame saw driven by a waterwheel. The sturdy ironwood log, which required two strong men to encircle, was easily cut into pieces of uniform thickness and precise size by the high-speed saw blade, just like small twigs.
Meanwhile, on the other side, several young workers from Hope Town were using a more complex, multi-functional woodworking machine with multiple drill bits and slots to perform a series of fine processing operations on the cut boards, such as tenoning, drilling, and planing.
The whole process was smooth, precise and efficient, leaving old Hans and other master craftsmen who had spent their entire lives hammering and chiseling by hand dumbfounded, as if they were watching an incredible magic show.
“Ancestors above, how could this be…” an old carpenter with white hair murmured to himself, his wrinkled hands trembling slightly.
Suddenly, old Hans pushed through the crowd and staggered forward. He stretched out his rough palm and carefully stroked the cross-section of the freshly cut plank—the surface was smoother than anyone could imagine, without even the finest splinter.
"This...this was really machine-cut?" His voice was hoarse with excitement as his fingers repeatedly rubbed the incredibly smooth surface. "I've been a blacksmith my whole life, and even with the sharpest plane, it would take me half a day to achieve this effect..."
Li Ge picked up a freshly processed mortise and tenon joint and casually handed it to a carpenter next to him who was still in a daze: "Master, take a look at this joint."
The carpenter instinctively took it, examined it carefully, and then gasped. The tenon and mortise fit together perfectly, with a precision that even the finest hand carving could not match. He tried to assemble the two parts, and with a soft "click," they joined together perfectly, so tightly that not even a piece of paper could be inserted between them.
“This precision…” another craftsman couldn’t help but exclaim, “I’ve been a carpenter all my life and I’ve never seen such precise mortise and tenon joints.”
“What…what kind of power is this? It’s like magic.” An old carpenter pointed with trembling hands at the buzzing machine tool, his voice shaking.
Li Ge explained with a smile, “Master, this isn’t magic, it’s called… science. It was invented by our mayor, oh, who is also the chief development advisor of Blackrock City, as a tool specifically designed to improve efficiency. This composite woodworking table can simultaneously perform mortising, drilling, and sanding, and can process one hundred of these components a day.”
The veteran craftsmen present looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock. They finally understood that this was not just a new tool, but a technological revolution that completely overturned their understanding of technology.
This blatant technological superiority completely shattered the pride of Hans and his fellow veteran workers. For the first time, they witnessed the power of science—a force capable of truly changing their destinies.
On the barren land outside the city, Ryan personally attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the merit camp.
The first batch of Blackrock City craftsmen who joined the construction team looked at the exquisite residential planning map at the entrance of the construction site, which was personally drawn by Lin Yue. The map depicted rows of houses with independent courtyards, red bricks and green tiles, and even reserved water pipe lines. Their eyes were filled with renewed fervent anticipation for the future.
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