As long as we can get into space, even if we can't find the "Cangyuan 1" colony ship for a while, we can still pose a threat to Oasis City and "Apollo", making them dare not act rashly.
After all, before clarifying the details, no one can say whether the opponent can call in more reinforcements from other star systems.
Having the ability to navigate space is strategically significant, and with the discovery of those 200 tons of methane fuel, "breaking out of the atmosphere" has gradually become tangible from a dream.
At the same time, the production of other projects cannot slow down.
Now, the bottleneck limiting production capacity expansion is no longer just electricity, but also the number of 3D printers and the man-hours required to produce a certain item.
Player hibernation pods and solar panels are normalized production projects that are best run continuously. In addition, drone bases, weapons and ammunition, vehicles, and exoskeletons must continue to be produced.
The captured production lines need to be upgraded, and the two Mechanical Behemoths need to be repaired...
Lu Yuan felt like his head was going to explode.
The more the camp develops, the more he realizes that 3D printers cannot replace specialized production lines. The advantage of this thing is its versatility, but its production speed has never been its strong point.
Moreover, not all products have to be produced using a 3D printer.
Take the "Madman" assault rifle, for example. Its main advancement lies in its overall design. In terms of production process, the only truly technical part is the ballistic computer added later.
Then there is the ONC propellant used in the enhanced power firearms. This gunpowder is extremely difficult to synthesize under normal procedures and has extremely high process costs, so it can only rely on a 3D printer.
As for the rest, there's no need.
Metal parts can be completely processed by CNC machine tools, or even directly cast, stamped, or made using the 21st-century "primitive" version of 3D printing - additive manufacturing technology.
Engineering plastics, needless to say.
More than 80% of the parts of an exoskeleton are probably the same!
There is no need to stack and print from the atomic level at all. That is a technology that is only needed when reproducing "black technology" whose production process is not yet clear. The most typical examples are the infrared pulse laser cannon that has just been figured out, and the metal hydrogen battery and all-nitrogen anion battery that were acquired before.
Thinking of this, Lu Yuan called Nan Guo de Xue over and expressed these thoughts to her.
"I completely agree, Executive Officer."
Nan Guo de Xue nodded at him: "Building dedicated production lines is estimated to save 70% of the 3D printer capacity."
"Well, so next I have a not-so-simple task for you. I need you to list all the parts in our current products that can be manufactured independently of a 3D printer, their corresponding processing technologies, and the resources required for each technology."
Lu Yuan thought Nan Guo de Xue would look troubled, but she brushed her hair back and agreed softly.
"No problem, I'll give it to you at this time tomorrow, okay?"
That fast!?
"...Okay, I thought a tedious task like this would take you more time."
Nan Guo de Xue shrugged.
"This kind of work is like organizing inventory items. It doesn't take much brainpower, and it feels particularly accomplished when finished. It's not tedious at all."
Well said!
Lu Yuan gave her a thumbs up.
What a great employee, this game is practically tailor-made for you.
The next day, Lu Yuan had the large 3D printer produce another plus version of the all-terrain vehicle with an enlarged fuel tank and enhanced horsepower, and gave it to the only Investigator player, Ye Xing.
Vehicles are currently the most urgently needed. Caoyuan and Ma Lou need one to set up drone bases, and Ye Xing also needs one for exploration. In the future, for patrolling, trading, troop transport... more will definitely be needed.
The remaining players can only ride the recruited Mechanical Desert Spiders to develop new underground dungeons further away. After leaving the underground, clover-shaped metal support plates will pop out from under the feet of these mechanical creatures to prevent their long legs from sinking into the sand due to excessive pressure.
Although the Mechanical Desert Spider is not as fast as the all-terrain vehicle in the Desert and not as comfortable to ride, it is still better than walking.
The small camp has already shown a tendency to expand outwards.
The next afternoon,
Lu Yuan was helping Coffee Cat and Hammer Girl build a new factory building when Nan Guo de Xue walked over, delivering the list of parts she had promised earlier, and also brought a piece of news.
"Just received a communication from Red Iron Town. Town Chief Shen hopes to lead a team to visit and discuss future cooperation."
"Great!" Lu Yuan jumped down from the small crane, "When are they coming?"
Nan Guo de Xue: "After we confirm here, they will start preparing for departure and will arrive in about two days."
"Okay, then confirm with them immediately. Cangyuan Future Technology welcomes their visit."
"Executive Officer, should we build a guesthouse, one that is a bit more upscale and can showcase Cangyuan's strength?"
Mi Mang De Da Chui asked.
Lu Yuan thought about it and realized it was indeed necessary.
Red Iron Town is a four-hour drive from here, and the visiting delegation may not be able to return the same day.
Although there are empty rooms in the employee dormitory, it is obviously impolite to let guests stay there. Besides, they can't discuss business in the employee cafeteria, which is where the staff usually chatter about the next plan.
"Build it! Stop this factory building for now, build it now, and call a few more people over."
Lu Yuan thought for a while and sent messages to other online players, assigning them tasks related to this meeting.
…………
Two days later in the early morning, a convoy consisting of one cargo truck and three all-terrain vehicles drove towards Devil Mountain Camp.
The camp gate slid open, and the convoy entered.
This time, the visitors included Town Chief Shen Hai, his grandson Shen Quan, Engineer Li, three other accompanying technical personnel, and four Red Iron Town guards, a total of ten people.
"Good morning, Town Chief. Welcome to Cangyuan Future Technology Li Star 1 Camp."
Lu Yuan led the players forward to greet them.
Seeing Lu Yuan, the Town Chief was obviously stunned.
He had heard Shen Quan say that the Executive Officer was not old, but he really didn't expect him to be so young.
He should be under 30, right? It's unbelievable...
"Hello, Executive Officer, thank you for your kind reception! As agreed, I brought the metal you need."
"You're too kind, let's go inside and talk."
"Okay!"
After getting out of the car, Shen Quan was completely shocked.
It was one thing for the new employees to create something out of nothing, he was used to it, but this camp...
It wasn't like this at all when I left two weeks ago!
All the smelly tin houses of the Raiders were gone. The originally large valley bottom is now 60% built up, and more than a dozen houses seem to have sprung out of the ground.
These metal houses are completely different from the brick houses in Red Iron Town. Their surfaces are smooth as mirrors, the corners are rounded, and they look as solid and cold as military fortresses, but they also seem very comfortable to live in.
Each design is different, and they are all very beautiful!
And that large factory building, what is such a large factory building used for?
The people who can live here are too happy...