115: Three major preparations before the war

When Shen Xiaochuan walked out of the command post, the sun was already setting.

The wind was dry and stung his face.

He did not return to the Main Hall but walked south.

That was the Agricultural Zone, where the land was vast, with fields stretching one after another, as far as the eye could see.

He did not walk fast, but every step was steady.

The copper gear on his sleeve rubbed against his clothes, making a rustling sound.

He was still thinking about that sentence just now: "Whoever destroys our homeland, you shall raze their lair to the ground."

This was said for the new recruits, but it was also a reminder to himself.

One hundred thousand people needed to eat; relying solely on slogans was useless.

The farmland was right before his eyes.

The 7,500 mu of land was neatly arranged, and the rice shimmered with a green light—a color only rare-grade crops possessed.

People were harvesting rice in the fields, bent over, with sickles rising and falling.

The three-shift rotation had already begun; as soon as one group finished harvesting, the next group immediately tilled the soil and replanted, keeping a fast pace.

"How is the progress?" he asked the steward who ran over.

"My Lord, it's being handled according to your instructions."

The man wiped away sweat. "We can harvest forty thousand jin of grain today; seventy percent will go into the warehouse, and thirty percent will be left for the farmers.

At this rate, the daily output can double in five days."

Shen Xiaochuan nodded. "Don't just look at the quantity.

The quality of the rare-grade crops must not drop.

Select the people doing the harvesting, and replace those who are slow."

"Understood.

We have selected people with sharp eyes, and we will use marked baskets to store them separately so they won't get mixed up."

He hummed in acknowledgement and walked along the ridge of the field.

He could feel the dampness of the ground under his feet.

Not bad, irrigation was fine.

Further ahead was the livestock farm, where iron fences enclosed a large area containing cows, sheep, and hybrid exotic beasts, totaling over three hundred thousand.

The slaughter line was running continuously, with blood flowing into ditches and being sent directly for purification, leaving no accumulation and no foul odor.

"Is there enough meat?" he asked, standing on the side.

"Enough."

The person in charge followed him up. "We produce five thousand jin of prime meat daily, all of which goes to military supplies.

We've also adjusted the feed, increasing protein to the maximum; the livestock grow quickly, and less than one percent get sick."

Shen Xiaochuan looked at the steam pipes in the distance.

The power came from the Industrial Zone, and the pressure was stable, which meant the cooling System had been repaired.

He didn't say much and turned to walk east.

The Industrial Zone was three li east of the city.

The road was full of transport vehicles hauling Ore, timber, and parts.

The wheels pressed against the hard road with a dull sound.

Upon entering the workshop, heat rushed into his face.

The furnace fire was raging, hammers struck iron blocks with a clanging sound, and red-hot blade blanks were thrown into water pools, sending up white smoke.

He went straight to the weapon production line.

The battle saber, Flame Gun, and iron armor lines were all running.

However, the pass rate for the iron armor was only sixty-eight percent, which was too low.

He picked up a set of newly made chest armor to inspect it; there were cracks on the edges, and the rivets were loose.

"Is the mold broken?" he asked the technician.

"Yes.

We've replaced it three times, but it doesn't last half a day.

The steam engine pressure is unstable, and the gear gap is off by two millimeters, so the output is inaccurate."

Shen Xiaochuan squatted down and lifted the base plate to check the drive shaft.

Sure enough, the cooling pipe was clogged, the water flow was insufficient, and the temperature had changed.

He stood up and shouted, "Call two welders!

Remove the third section of the pipe, clear the silt, and recalibrate.

Water must be flowing within ten minutes."

The workers immediately got to work.

He stood by and watched.

Five minutes later, the water was flowing, and the pressure gauge stabilized.

He nodded. "Now change to a new mold, trial-produce one hundred sets first, and inspect all of them."

He went to check the Flame Gun line again.

This gun used gunpowder and had exploded twice, killing three people.

Now, no one dared to load ammunition in batches.

"There is a problem with the formula," the technician said.

"The saltpeter is impure, causing it to burn too fast to control."

"Then don't force it," Shen Xiaochuan said.

"Switch to small-team trials, adjust the parameters for each gun individually, and wait until the data is stable before rolling it out.

For now, max out the production capacity for battle sabers and iron armor, and prioritize distribution to the First Legion."

"But the higher-ups are pressing hard..."

"Pressing is useless.

Taking defective products to the battlefield will only lead to faster deaths," he interrupted.

"I want soldiers who can survive, not those going to their deaths."

After the order was given, the site adjusted immediately.

The battle saber production accelerated, the iron armor molds were replaced and retested, and the assembly of Flame Guns was paused.

The first batch of three thousand sets of equipment was packed and sealed, labeled "First Legion Priority."

When he walked out of the workshop, the sky had darkened significantly.

The wind blew from the east, carrying a smell of rust.

He knew the next stop was the armory.

Lolia was still waiting for him.

The warehouse door opened, and a blast of cold air rushed out.

The demon-breaking blade stood in the center, two meters long, with a black blade body and purple light on the edges.

Lolia stood nearby, her face stained with grease, but her eyes were bright.

"Is it repaired?" Shen Xiaochuan approached.

"It's repaired."

She touched the back of the blade. "rare-grade, sixty percent increase in combat power, with a shockwave skill.

With one strike, the ground within ten meters will crack.

I've tested it; there's no problem."

Shen Xiaochuan reached out to grip the handle.

One touch was enough to know it wouldn't work.

It was too heavy; he couldn't lift it with one hand, let alone swing it.

He took a step back. "Use it once and show me."

Lolia nodded, gripped the handle with both hands, and slowly retreated to the center of the testing ground.

She stood still, took a deep breath, and then swung it down violently.

Boom!

The ground exploded with a three-meter-long crack, and gravel flew everywhere.

The shockwave made the walls hum, and the lights flickered.

Shen Xiaochuan squinted at the crack. "The power is sufficient."

"It's just too heavy," Lolia panted as she lowered the blade.

"Ordinary soldiers can't carry it; you wouldn't find one in ten who could use it."

"I know."

He walked to the rack and stared at the blade.

"Just because it's not used now doesn't mean it won't be used later.

Mark it as 'Special Combat Unit Use' and put it into the strategic reserve.

Start researching a lighter version; recalculate the Materials, structure, and energy conduction, and reduce the weight as much as possible."

"How long will it take?"

"The sooner the better.

I don't expect immediate results, but this must be done."

Lolia noted it down. "Okay.

I'll start breaking down the data tonight."

He glanced at the time.

The faith points were still rising, +1 +1 +1... stable.

After this inspection tour, he felt more at ease.

There was grain, there was meat, and the weapon lines were sorted out.

High-end combat power wasn't needed for now, but at least it was no longer a blank slate.

He turned and walked out.

"My Lord," Lolia called to him from behind.

"This blade... is there really anyone who can use it?"

Shen Xiaochuan stopped without looking back.

"There isn't anyone now, but that doesn't mean there won't be in the future.

What we lack has never been weapons, but people who can use these weapons."

After saying this, he pushed the door open and left.

It was completely dark outside.

There were few stars, and the clouds hung low.

He walked back along the main road, heading toward the Main Hall.

His steps were lighter than when he arrived.

Agriculture, industry, and high-end equipment had all been checked, and the problems were solved.

Next, it was a matter of whether the training could keep up.

Passing a fork in the road, he looked up at the city wall.

Sentries were moving about, the detection barrier was quiet, and X-07 had not sounded an alarm.

In the direction of the Woguo, there was still no movement.

It was too quiet, which didn't feel right.

But he didn't stop.

Things had to be done one by one.

Soldiers needed to be trained, people needed to eat, blades needed to be forged, and everyone had to survive in order to fight.

The Main Hall appeared in front of him.

It was brightly lit, with guards at the door.

He walked up the steps, placed his hand on the door handle, and paused.

What would be inside?

News? A mission? Or a new treasure chest?

He pushed the door open and entered.

The hall was empty, the tables and chairs were neat, and the lights were on.

No one spoke, and no one was waiting for him.

He crossed the hall and walked toward the inner chamber.

On the way, he touched the copper gear on his sleeve.

It was still there, slightly warm.

The next second, his communicator vibrated.

He took it out and glanced at it.

System notification: [Faith Mall] New limited-time special items added, lasting for twelve hours.

He didn't click on it.

He didn't want to look at it now.

He continued walking forward without stopping.

At the end of the Main Hall corridor, a door was half-open, letting out light.