191: Chapter 191 Warehouse Area Partitioning Begins! A Strawberry Piece of Cake Offered to Reassure People

Seven o'clock in the morning.

The first-floor Storage Area.

Han Zhengqing stood at the entrance of the Storage Area, his gray hair tucked under his hard hat, holding a roll of blueprints in his arms.

Behind him stood twenty-three workers: fifteen were original members of the Engineering Team, and eight were Welder apprentices transferred by Zhao Tiezhu.

"Listen up," Han Zhengqing said, unrolling the blueprints and pinning them to the wall.

The blueprints showed the floor plan of the Storage Area, with red lines marking the partition locations.

"The total area of the Storage Area is 3,600 square meters, to be divided into four sections," Han Zhengqing gestured on the blueprints. "The first section, 1,200 square meters, will serve as housing for Battalion Commander Zhao's three hundred men. The second section, 800 square meters, will be a material transit warehouse."

He looked at the crowd.

"The third section, 600 square meters, will be a temporary resettlement point for relocated personnel, and the fourth section, 1,000 square meters, will be kept in reserve."

A young Welder raised his hand.

"Chief Engineer Han! What materials are we using for the partitions?"

"Scrap steel plates for the welded frames, wire mesh for the infill, and a layer of Insulation Mats on the floor," Han Zhengqing replied curtly. "No need for fine finishing; it just needs to be habitable."

"What about precision requirements?"

"The fillet weld standards remain the same as the bed frames. If anyone welds blowholes, I'll personally redo the work, and the person responsible will lose a meal of noodles."

No one spoke.

Han Zhengqing pointed along the red lines on the blueprint section by section.

"The first partition is here, running east-west, twelve meters long and 2.4 meters high, using four load-bearing columns plus crossbeams and wire mesh. The second one is here, running north-south. The third one is here."

"Chief Engineer! Where is the steel for the load-bearing columns coming from?"

"Among the scrap steel moved from The City-State yesterday, there's a batch of 40mm Square Tubes. They're already stacked in the corner of the Storage Area; Battalion Commander Zhao's men helped move them."

"Is it enough?"

Han Zhengqing flipped a page of the blueprints.

"Twelve load-bearing columns, each 2.4 meters high, total usage is twenty-nine meters of Square Tubing." Han Zhengqing closed the blueprints. "We have forty-two meters of Square Tubing available, with thirteen meters to spare. It's enough."

"How long until completion?"

"Three days." Han Zhengqing rolled up the blueprints. "Today we weld the load-bearing columns and the first partition frame. Tomorrow we weld the second and third. The day after, we lay the wire mesh and Insulation Mats."

A Mechanic stepped forward.

"Chief Engineer Han, the relocated people are coming in today. Will the construction here in the Storage Area clash with them?"

"They won't. The relocated personnel enter from the north entrance of the Storage Area, and after registration, they head south to the second floor. We'll start welding from the south side, so the two sides won't cross paths."

"What if someone comes over to watch the excitement?"

"Battalion Commander Zhao's soldiers will be blocking the middle." Han Zhengqing pointed to the passage in the center of the Storage Area, where two of Zhao Tiezhu's soldiers were standing. "The construction area is off-limits; unauthorized personnel are not allowed."

He stuffed the blueprints into his work clothes pocket.

"Forming groups. The first group of six will cut the Square Tubes, the second group of eight will weld the load-bearing columns, and the third group of nine will move materials and assist." Han Zhengqing scanned the group. "Apprentices follow the second group. Those who are inexperienced should watch first and only start practicing after the masters finish welding."

The twenty-three people dispersed to find their tools.

Han Zhengqing pressed his communicator.

"City Lord."

"Speak."

"Construction on the Storage Area partitions has begun. Twenty-three people are in place, materials are sufficient, and it's expected to be finished in three days."

"Is there enough manpower?"

"It's enough. Today is mainly cutting and welding load-bearing columns, which doesn't require too many people. We'll add a few more tomorrow when welding the frames."

"Let me know if you need anything at any time."

"There is one thing."

"Speak."

"The City Lord said yesterday that a Welder should be arranged this afternoon to go to the Livestock Farm to help Liao Dacheng weld the support columns for the Farrowing Room. Being down one person out of twenty-three won't affect progress. I'll have Old Liu go down to help at two o'clock; it'll be done in half an hour."

"Fine."

"One more thing."

"Speak."

Han Zhengqing leaned closer to the communicator.

"Someone told me this morning that after yesterday's Strawberries were distributed, a few young people in our Engineering Team who didn't get any didn't say anything, but they're feeling a bit unhappy."

"Eight Strawberries for 147 people was never going to be enough."

"I know. I gave the eight to the eight oldest master craftsmen," Han Zhengqing explained. "The youngest is fifty-two, and the oldest is sixty-one. It's normal that the young ones didn't get any."

"Your handling of the situation was fine."

"My handling was fine, but I want to confirm with the City Lord: when will the second batch of Strawberries be ready?"

"Between the sixty-fourth and sixty-sixth day, thirty to forty pieces."

"Thirty to forty pieces." Han Zhengqing paused for two seconds on the other end of the communicator. "City Lord, there are 147 people in the Engineering Team. If we can get a share of the second batch, it would be almost enough for one per person."

"The distribution plan for the second batch is for the ordinary residents. The Engineering Team is not on the list for the second batch."

Han Zhengqing didn't respond.

"However," Lu Chen's voice came through, "Chief Engineer Han, tell those young people that the third batch of Strawberries will start fruiting in five days. By then, the yield will double, and there will be more than enough for one per person."

"In five days?"

"Lin Wan said so. The third batch will have twenty to thirty plants, with three to five pieces per plant." Lu Chen provided the specific data. "The total will be between sixty and one hundred and fifty pieces."

"One hundred and fifty pieces." Han Zhengqing's Adam's apple bobbed. "That's enough."

"Just tell them that."

"Okay."

The communicator hung up.

Han Zhengqing stood at the southern end of the Storage Area, watching the six cutters begin to slice the Square Tubes with Plasma Torches.

Sparks flew, and the steel tubes made a piercing sound at the cutting surface.

He touched the blueprints in his work clothes pocket.

"Three days."

In three days, this open space would be housing for Zhao Tiezhu's three hundred men.

Once those three hundred had a place to stay, the space freed up in the Storage Area could accommodate more relocated people.

More people coming in meant more people eating noodles and more people registering as residents.

He turned and walked toward the second group's welding area.

The welding of the first load-bearing column had already begun.