Babalu was exasperated. He thought, 'I've explained it to you this much, but it's all just hot air?'
If it weren't for the fact that the other party was, after all, a high-ranking official, he would have probably stormed off, even if he didn't blow the dog's head off with a gun.
Normal heart, normal heart, normal heart! The more it is at this time, the more you need to be calm. His master, and his master's master, were all Earthlings, and they all told him that he must learn to be patient and control his anger.
“Oh… it can’t be repaired!” He gritted his teeth and let out a chilling sigh.
“I’ve heard of the Osai Core too. The design structure of that kind of thing is indeed very complex, and many of the materials are things we can’t solve right now. In addition, the generation of its internal magnetism relies on a certain field effect formed by the reasonable combination of Seven Luminaries Stones. When these Seven Luminaries Stones reach the end of their service life, the entire solar furnace also reaches the end of its service life. You see, since we’re talking about Zero Element, you can think of it as a kind of alchemy; how could an outsider possibly master it?” Yu Lian chuckled.
Once it involved something as lofty as mysticism, even if Babalu was dissatisfied, he could only be impressed by its incomprehensibility.
Yu Lian, however, said, “Haha, actually, the general manager you guys drove away earlier wasn’t too smart either. If he were a slightly more intelligent capitalist, he could have just used the mine and factory as collateral for a loan to purchase new equipment. Of course, it’s also possible that their original plan was just to make quick money. Mining and selling is so convenient! By then, the steel mill would be completely turned into a large mine, and most of the skilled workers could be laid off.”
Babalu's eyes lit up, but then he heard Yu Lian say, “...Now it's impossible to go to the bank. The Red Maple Factory's ownership is unclear; this is a historical issue, and everyone feels it could close at any time. Plus, with the security situation here, even loan sharks wouldn't dare to act rashly.”
“...Then what should we do? If the solar furnace can’t be repaired, what are we even talking about here?” Babalu said with a bitter smile.
“So, Davarish Babalu, why can’t you wrap your head around this?” Yu Lian pointed to his own head: “Our goal, in the end, is to refine Taeon Ore, or to repair the furnace?!”
Babalu didn't immediately understand what the other party meant.
“It's nothing more than smelting! I’ll tell you, back in the day… sigh, never mind! In short, don’t listen to the dwarf merchants from Furnace Fort. Who said that without the Osai Core, this furnace can’t operate? Who said that Taeon Ore can’t be smelted using ordinary methods?”
This time, Babalu, the smartest young man in the ten-mile radius of Lumina Star, finally reacted.
Yu Lian added, “I just did a preliminary check, and the pipelines are indeed aging, but we have our own steel pipe workshop that can replace them! As for the other troublesome issues, the high temperature and the magnetic field, there are actually ways to solve them!”
You still say you don't understand solar furnaces? Babalu stared blankly at the other party, momentarily unsure what expression to make, but he felt his heart stirring with excitement.
“So, call all the most technically knowledgeable people in the factory. Oh, right, call all the stewards too! We’re having a meeting!” Yu Lian said.
Babalu didn't speak, likely due to excessive excitement. In any case, the carapace on his cheeks twitched unnaturally a couple of times, and then he quickly strode away on his long legs.
Those were literally long legs, slender yet full of strength, with an insect-like agility, and at this moment, every step seemed to carry hope.
Yu Lian knew that Red Maple Factory used to have a technical team. It’s hard to say about their ability and professionalism, but at least they had educational backgrounds.
However, as the government and military gradually withdrew, Red Maple Factory became a forgotten place, and those who considered themselves “intellectuals” certainly wouldn’t stay to suffer with it. Those who could leave had already left.
Now, the technical personnel in the factory, to put it plainly, were all high-level technicians who came from unconventional backgrounds. Of course, there might also be hidden tech masters who were self-taught. Yu Lian was very much looking forward to this.
Because the factory and urban areas still had a certain scale, and there were still a few bigwigs farming outside the city, it still took some effort to gather everyone. However, in just over half an hour, Babalu still managed to call everyone, about thirty people.
Among them, humans and Luminans each accounted for half, with old, middle-aged, and young generations all Present, almost all of them being men.
It sounds a bit politically incorrect, but comparatively, in heavy industry systems, men are indeed more likely to become technical backbone. The few women Present might even be in finance and logistics.
The reactions of those Present to their “superior” from the military naturally varied greatly. Some were cautious and scrutinizing, some had smiling faces, some were wary and worried, but in any case, they all exuded the aura of laborers, which immediately made Yu Lian feel a great sense of affinity.
Thus, a handsome young man of about twenty-four or twenty-five stood out significantly among those Present. It wasn't that his attire or appearance differed from others, but rather that his demeanor was too refined, more like a fresh graduate elementary school teacher, or a graduate student in a university, and even then, studying humanities.
Yu Lian glanced at the other party, vaguely feeling a sense of familiarity.
He wasn't too sure if it was someone he knew from before, or a younger version of some celebrity he knew in his previous life. However, now wasn't the time for introductions; he'd ask later.
“I am Yu Lian, and I am here to work with everyone to make Red Maple Factory great again.” Yu Lian once again showed everyone a row of gleaming white teeth that almost sparkled in the sunlight, and said solemnly, “What kind of person I am, you can find out slowly in the days to come. So, I will get straight to the point.”
This direct opening was unexpected by everyone. You see, the representatives sent by the government and military before were all masters of officialese, each more long-winded than the last.
Therefore, such an opening was also refreshing for everyone.
“Our neighbor, New Seville, is preparing for a massive construction project. They will build an offshore light-rail passage, connecting most of the inhabited islands on that planet, with a total length exceeding 20,000 kilometers.”
Yes, in the cosmic era, a distance of five or six million kilometers can indeed only be described as “next door.”
Most of the worker representatives looked at each other, not quite understanding what this had to do with them.
Of course, there were a few who seemed to be deep in thought. Besides Babalu himself, there was his good friend, a technician named Buska, a strong Earthling black youth. Babalu's senior brother, Xia Xiake, the head of the urban hunting team, a middle-aged Lumina man, whose temperament was more like a warrior than a worker—which was indeed the case, as he was also the captain of the Maple City self-defense team, with over a thousand men under him who had received basic military training.
To Yu Lian's slight surprise, the handsome young man who looked more like an elementary school teacher was also one of them.
“Light rail is now very likely to adopt the Minlan people's T-type approach, using the anti-gravity magnetic field generated by the Balance to form the power and suspension core for the entire rail transit… So, in the entire universe, what is more suitable for making a Balance than Taishi Alloy directly refined from Taeon Ore?”
Actually, there are quite a few. Not to mention Zero Element, the Alliance’s Xiandanu Heavy Industries, the Empire’s Felim Foundry, and even some second-tier technologically advanced nations, all have materials that are not inferior, or even superior, to Taishi Alloy.
However, considering transportation costs, Red Maple Factory was naturally the most cost-effective choice.
“If this global orbital project chooses our materials, it's a standard win-win! If the first phase of the orbit built this way operates smoothly, there should be a second, and even a third phase.” Yu Lian scanned everyone and then said, “This is Red Maple Factory's first long cry after its rebirth from the ashes, and it must cry loudly enough!”
Everyone looked at each other. Some seemed a little excited by the incitement, while others' doubts seemed more pronounced.
Buska simply raised his hand and interrupted directly, “...But the solar furnace is already broken!”
Yu Lian was very satisfied with this reaction; it at least showed that the technicians in this factory still had some spirit and weren't so intimidated by the presence of a “superior” that they wouldn't even speak.
“Yes! The solar furnace is broken, and I can't do anything about it, so I have to choose a new method!” Yu Lian opened his personal terminal and brought up a holographic image.
Buska recognized it as an industrial process at a glance, and then began to examine it with a mixture of scrutiny and skepticism, but once he looked into it, his eyes couldn't be opened again.
Babalu was also a skilled worker, but his ability was mainly in organization, so he didn't understand it too well. However, his friend's reaction couldn't be hidden from him; it was clear that he thought it was reliable.
He then looked at his senior brother, Xia Xiake. The Lumina middle-aged man moved the bone armor on his mouth in distress and said helplessly, “You know I don't understand this aspect; I'm barely good at wielding knives and guns. If it weren't for my grandmaster stopping me, I would have joined the army back then.”
Babalu glared at the other party helplessly and said, “Officer, could you explain in more detail?”
“If we can’t solve the high temperature of 6000 degrees, we’ll add processes during the ore dressing stage! In addition, we’ll use chemical substances for the first round of decomposition of Taeon Ore; our pickling workshop is sufficient to prepare the necessary reagents. And we’ll conduct three rounds of roasting!”
“So that’s it, we can operate during the ore dressing stage! Why didn’t I think of that before?” Babalu muttered to himself. His “main job” was mining and ore dressing, and he originally thought it was the roughest work in metallurgical production, but he never expected so many tricks could be played with it.
Of course, you don’t know, but the laborers of later generations gradually developed it in the future. It can be used on Taeon Ore, but with slight modifications to the process and materials, it can be used on other special ores.
This set of processes, with its numerous steps and insufficient automation, naturally lacked the high-tech, sci-fi feel and would not be favored by technologically advanced nations. However, this was also a kind of “native steelmaking” in another sense. No matter how unrefined the method, if it can produce something, then it is the correct method.
Relying on this set of production processes, the Volunteer Army was actually always able to establish their own industrial bases.
…However, by that time, Lumina Star, Luna Star System, and even the entire Far Shore Star Region, no longer belonged to the Commonwealth.
Yu Lian concealed a slight sigh.
“If the magnetic field cannot be effectively neutralized, we will use pulse devices for separation! The high-quality pipelines have aged, so I will re-lay our own pipelines, starting from the engineering structure, and rebuild our solar furnace… Hmm, well, it feels a bit like a knockoff, so let’s call it the Shanyang Furnace from now on.”
No one got the joke, but Yu Lian’s analysis made them feel some hope.
The light in Buska’s eyes grew brighter and brighter, but he still raised his hand and said, “As for pickling… well, the chemicals used on Taeon Ore are different from ordinary iron ore and copper ore. We don’t have advanced equipment or well-protected large chemical laboratories here!”
Since it involved a technical level, it meant he truly believed it was feasible.
“I'll prepare it!” Yu Lian said.
Hmm, I don’t know the formula for the chemical reagents specifically used for Taeon Ore, but since they are used for this high-quality ore, I can generally handle the direction.
Thinking back then, no, thinking about the future, this great hero was also a man who had concocted a three-phase bomb with crude methods!
What's more, there's a very good helper here.
A certain alien creature in the test tube in Yu Lian's jacket pocket seemed to sense something, and its emotional fluctuations directly caused it to tremble.
“But, that’s too dangerous…” Babalu shook his head.
He now felt that this officer truly had to be one of their own. However, precisely because he was one of their own, he shouldn't be allowed to take such risks.
Yu Lian raised his hand to interrupt him, and everyone saw a small vortex form in the palm of his hand.
“I am a spiritual energy user,” he said.
Anyway, I have a divine skill like “Source of Life”; I don't believe I'll be poisoned to death while mixing acid.
Nothing was more convincing than this, and everyone had nothing more to say.
spiritual energy users are superhumans; at the very least, their lives are much more valuable than ordinary people's. Even the most ignorant person knows this.
“Also, you said to use a pulse device to create a magnetic field? I, I… this…”
Buska scratched his scalp a bit awkwardly. This was already in the realm of high-energy physics, and it truly exceeded his knowledge.
“Pulse devices are readily available! Our transport team still has three large transport ships, right? They haven’t been used at all, so dismantle their engines! Their energy pipelines can also be used! I’ll modify them!” Yu Lian added.
Thank you (future) Ina for the short videos!
Although your main goal was to teach us how to make electromagnetic railguns from discarded ship parts… if you can’t transform crude military technology into productivity after a bit of thought, what right do you have to consider yourself a disciple of a teacher!
“This knockoff furnace, after all, cannot compare to a genuine solar furnace, and will inevitably have some wear and tear. Moreover, it will greatly increase everyone’s labor intensity, so… I need you to mobilize all the labor force in the factory as much as possible, and explain clearly to everyone, making sure they cooperate.”
Babalu said, “That concern of yours is the most unnecessary!”
“My negotiation with New Seville is to prepare 100,000 tons of Taishi Alloy within three months, to prove that Red Maple Factory has indeed resumed production and can become a stable supplier for their cross-sea light rail! Otherwise, they might adopt the Alliance’s construction… Yes, they’ll use Furnace Fort Heavy Industries’ space-plated design! Although the price is much higher and it’s really not very durable, it’s better than not repairing it! Do you understand?”
Seeing that everyone still didn't seem to understand, Yu Lian added with a solemn attitude, “Everyone, we must complete the design and construction of the new furnace system within three months, and make it operate perfectly. We must complete the maintenance, repair, and restart of the Taishi Alloy production line that has been shut down for twenty years! Finally, we must refine 100,000 tons of alloy! This is a war, a very arduous war!”
“That concern of yours is indeed the most unnecessary,” Babalu repeated his words.
Yu Lian looked directly at the confident Lumina miner, remained silent for a moment, then grinned broadly, “I f*cking love it here!”
I don't understand metallurgy, so don't take it too seriously!