Chapter 67 — The Iron and Steel Plan, and Amber's Return
Blade of Dawn · Page 3 of 3
When you are quietly farming your home base, not even your expansion up and running, and suddenly a wave of aliens and a wave of the demon tide spawn right in your face at the same time—how are you supposed to play that?!
The progress of Magic Net Number One had shown him the opportunity for a tremendous leap in productive forces—or rather, the productive forces had already reached the point where such a leap was possible; it was simply that in this world where magic existed, they had been stuck in place. Magic Net Number One was the hope of breaking that confinement.
Magic was their ruin, and magic was their salvation.
Hammer sank into thought, only to find he could think of nothing at all. This had gone beyond his worldview. A man who had forged iron all his life, for the first time, could not find a place for himself within steel. "My lord, if we truly build according to your plan, with so many steel furnaces... how many blacksmiths would be needed? There is only me in the domain right now..."
"Ore smelting and steel processing will sooner or later separate into two distinct parts. I have follow-up arrangements for all of it," Gao Yang glanced at Hammer. "After seeing the blueprints for the new furnace, you should know I am not indulging in whims or flights of fancy."
That dangerous thought had indeed just crossed Hammer's mind, but Gao Yang's words reminded him of that bold yet rational furnace design.
After a few seconds of silence, Gao Yang deliberately spoke, unhurried: "Do you take me for a foolish noble, head full of naive notions and wild fancies, who understands nothing of practical matters?"
Hammer broke out in a cold sweat. "No, no—how could you be..."
"It is only natural that you would think so, because I look at more than ninety percent of the other nobles of this age and judge them the same way," Gao Yang smiled. "Living in castles, aloof and lofty, luxurious and naive, knowing nothing of how grain grows, nor the tricks of forging iron, building houses, or felling trees—yet thoroughly fond of issuing wild orders that can never possibly be carried out. Isn't that right?"
Hammer stared at Gao Yang, dumbstruck, and for a long while could not manage to get out the words "kindred spirit."
How could this ducal lord from seven hundred years ago evaluate nobles so incisively?
"You must be wondering why I judge them so incisively. It's simple—I am Gao Yang Cecil. Seven hundred years ago, when this land was still barren wilderness, I led people here to break the ground," Gao Yang said, looking into Hammer's eyes. "We did not live in castles back then. And when it comes to hard labor, I daresay many a craftsman in this domain would not be my match."
Hammer's expression shifted slightly. Slowly, he nodded.
Gao Yang placed his hand on the old blacksmith's shoulder. "So do as I say. The first step is to complete the construction of the new furnace."
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Betty scurrying toward him at a trot.
"My lord!" The little maid still gulped down a few breaths first, then bent forward in a clumsy, exaggerated bow. "Miss Amber is back! And she's brought a... a..."
Betty thought hard for a moment, then announced loudly: "A filthy old man!"