Chapter 546 — The Laboratory of Origins

"The upper nobility are indifferent toward the Angrey loom and the textile factories...

"The Emperor has recently issued new orders, requiring more roads to be built next year, mainly connecting the northern and southern halves of the empire, and simultaneously ordering the canals to be widened..."

Just as Gao Yang had anticipated, technological development would spur the birth of various new industries, and for Typhon's minor nobles the new industries would be an excellent opportunity to regain wealth and political standing—these minor nobles were the group that had lost the most in the empire's restructuring process. They urgently needed new opportunities to return to imperial politics, and becoming "capitalists" was their best path.

On the other hand, the great nobles, who still retained vast political resources and wealth and had themselves never left the center of imperial power, lacked the "urgency" of the minor nobles, and so their reaction speed to these emerging industries would be much slower.

These two groups were destined to split apart.

And once the emerging merchants entered the field on the strength of capital and merged with the minor nobles into a new group, this rift would become even more chaotic.

As for Luo Yan Augustus's support for various new technologies and new things, his backing of new-style factories, his push for road transportation... those were things he had to do, and could not avoid doing.

Not everyone present could understand the significance of what Daniel was reporting—Rebecca and Jenny, for instance, were staring wide-eyed at each other—while those who did understand, such as Hetty and Gao Yang, all wore expressions of the utmost seriousness.

"You have done well," Gao You said after Daniel finished his report. "So, you have already won over the first investors in Typhon's noble council... Is your activity drawing attention?"

"It will not attract undue attention. That is how Typhon's upper society operates; I am doing what everyone does," Daniel said. "For someone like me, who once held a fairly high position in the Royal Mages' Association but was long absent in between, rebuilding connections after returning to the imperial capital is entirely normal."

Gao Yang pondered, then asked again: "As far as I know, Typhon's main burning-stone acidification plants are all in the north, correct?"

Daniel did not know why the Outlander Wanderer had suddenly asked such a question, but he answered earnestly all the same: "Yes, most of the burning-stone acidification plants are in the north. Although the southern regions have been promoting it in recent years, the production and transportation conditions for Bounty Dust are both very demanding, and the raw burning-stone material mostly comes from the northeastern coastline, so its spread in the south is very slow."

"Also, you mentioned something just now—Typhon's main cotton-producing regions are all in the south?"

"Yes, nearly seventy percent of Typhon's cotton comes from southern plantations. But once the textile factories start running, the northern regions will inevitably switch to cotton on a large scale—relying on southern cotton alone will definitely not be enough to feed the factories."

Gao Yang lifted his eyelids and revealed a faint smile: "But the southerners do not know this yet, do they?"

"...What do you mean..."

"Do you have the ability to spread information in southern Typhon?"

"I do not know any noble councilors from the south," Daniel said, "but... I am certain that quite a few members of the Order of Eternal Sleep hail from southern Typhon, for the Order itself originated in the southern reaches of Typhon."

"The Order of Eternal Sleep?" Gao Yi was briefly taken aback, then abruptly realized he had indeed overlooked this line of thinking—Daniel was simultaneously a spy he had planted within Typhon and within the Order of Eternal Sleep, yet he had often considered these two identities of Daniel's separately. In truth, however... these two identities might be able to serve their purpose at the same time...

Cultists, too, had to make a living; the vast majority of believers in the lower and middle ranks could not devote themselves entirely to religious activities. In the real world, they had their own businesses and occupations—merchants, hunters, and... plantation owners in southern Typhon.

The new idea took shape swiftly. Gao Yang pondered for a moment, then said, "Very good. Then spread word among the Order of Eternal Sleep, release the information in a fairly natural manner—describe the textile mill, let people know that northern Typhon will soon need a great quantity of cotton."

Daniel reacted at once. "You mean... to make the cotton plantations of the south expand their scale blindly?"

"At first, they won't be expanding blindly, because even if northern cotton were planted now, it would take time before it could supply the factories' consumption—so the southern plantations will certainly profit handsomely first. But once they pour all those profits into expanding their plantations... by then northern Typhon's cotton should be able to fill the gap," Gao Yang said, looking into Daniel's eyes. "As you just said, the main burning-stone acidification plants... are all in the north."

Daniel met Gao Yang's gaze, and suddenly, he understood the intent of the wanderer from beyond the realm.

In a chill, he lowered his head. "As you will."

(A book recommendation, a book recommendation—the title is *The Calamity of Tomorrow*, and I imagine many of you have heard of it, a new book by Bear Wolf Dog. It's in the fantasy category, wildly imaginative, light in tone; those short on reading material might give it a look—personally, I think it's very good.)