Love Lock

Chapter 131 Giving Them a Helping Hand

At that moment, Pingchuan pushed open the study door and strode in.

"My lord, how is it? Can you hear me?"

"Yes, yes. I can hear you very clearly." Luo Hai nodded repeatedly. "But how am I supposed to reply to you?"

“Come, I’ll teach you. The princess said that you’ll have to test the maximum range of the walkie-talkie yourself. With the walkie-talkie, you won’t have to go to the wasteland every day. You can direct them to work from other places.”

As he spoke, Pingchuan began to teach Luo Hai how to use the walkie-talkie and how to charge it with a solar-powered power bank.

Having learned how to use the walkie-talkie, and with the addition of that mysterious weapon that could kill without leaving a trace, Luo Hai's confidence soared. He even took the initiative to discuss the details of Zhao Zun's plan with Pingchuan.

After discussing all the details, Pingchuan handed over the remaining walkie-talkies to Luo Hai, thus completing his mission.

After dinner, Pingchuan, accompanied by his guards, set off under the cover of night for their next mission location.

…Robbery on the road, votes, comments, favorites…

The cement plant in Fufeng County is located at the foot of a wide-open mountain.

In mid-April, the weather gradually became hot, with a warm breeze carrying the fragrance of earth.

Despite having "factory" in its name, this cement plant was actually just a simple cement workshop. It was small in scale and lacked any standard equipment.

However, this seemingly insignificant, even remote place holds the dreams and hard work of Han Lei and Zhao Zun.

Han Lei had never personally visited a modern, real cement plant; her understanding of cement production came entirely from computer data within the system.

She spent a lot of time researching and organizing the materials before finally handing them over to Zhao Zun.

Zhao Zun also used this information to plan and build the cement plant step by step, starting from scratch.

Zhao Zun also drew on Han Lei's operational methods in the wasteland project in Qingshui County. He not only adopted a closed management system, but also promised double wages to the craftsmen and laborers he recruited.

Furthermore, two enormous thatched huts and stoves were built within the fenced area for everyone to rest and eat. People were recruited to cook for everyone, in order to improve the efficiency of their work.

Because the weather has warmed up, everyone works during the day and sleeps fully clothed under the thatched shed at night. This saves everyone the effort of traveling back and forth.

Despite the harsh conditions, Zhao Zun offered double the wages, and everyone worked with great enthusiasm.

The craftsmen bustled about, their clothes soaked with sweat, but each of them wore a smile full of energy.

Yang Qiquan, the foreman of the bricklayers, stood to the side, directing everyone with piercing eyes.

He was hunched over, with dark skin and calloused hands, clearly the result of years of working with mud and bricks.

Under his leadership, the craftsmen have already built the prototype of the cement plant.

On a row of open spaces by the mountain, five kilns have already taken shape.

These kilns were made by Yang Qiquan and his craftsmen working in shifts day and night for several days. Although they look rough, they are structurally sound and fully capable of meeting the requirements for cement firing.

Next to the kiln, there were piles of limestone and alum, all of which were raw materials collected from the nearby mountains.

Local laborers recruited from Fufeng County are continuously transporting these raw materials here using baskets, backpacks, and other tools.

Beads of sweat hung on their foreheads, but everyone worked very hard, as if they were working on their own fields.

Zhao Zun led Han Lei on a tour of the cement factory, and Han Lei quietly observed everything.

The cement firing method she chose was the simplest, but also the most practical.

The ground limestone powder and clay powder are mixed in different proportions, and then an appropriate amount of iron oxide or kaolin is added.

The mixed raw materials are sent into a kiln for sintering, and the raw materials after high-temperature calcination are cement clinker.

Finally, these clinker materials are ground into powder, mixed with an appropriate amount of gypsum, and cement is made.

Although the cement plant was ready to start operations, the efficiency of relying solely on laborers to transport raw materials and finished products bit by bit in baskets and on their backs was extremely low in the face of such a large production volume.

With such work efficiency, it's unclear when Zhao Zun's grand plan will be completed.

Han Lei's lips twitched slightly, and she gently shook her head.

Zhao Zun noticed her expression and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Han Lei sighed, her tone tinged with helplessness: "No, it's just that I feel they work too slowly."

"They have already worked very hard."

Zhao Zun turned to look at the sweating laborers and felt a pang of pity.

“I’m not saying they weren’t working hard, but the tools they used were too outdated. Baskets and carrying baskets were simply not suitable for large-scale transportation; they were too inefficient.”

Zhao Zun was taken aback, then suddenly realized what was going on.

The advanced tools provided by Han Lei for the wasteland project in Qingshui County have indeed greatly improved work efficiency. In comparison, the baskets and carrying hampers in front of us seem far too primitive.

"Do you have a better tool?" A hint of anticipation flashed in Zhao Zun's eyes. "Then bring it out quickly."

Han Lei pointed to a neatly prepared open space in the distance: "Come on, follow me."

Zhao Zun and his two bodyguards were thrilled to hear that Han Lei had something new to show, and quickly followed.

Because Xiao Zhengfei was sent by Zhao Zun to recruit soldiers, and Pingchuan was also out on a mission, Zhao Zun only took Lao Meng and Zhang Ergou with him.

Although Zhang Ergou was only twenty-one or twenty-two years old, he was highly skilled in martial arts and was selected by Xiao Zhengfei to join Zhao Zun's personal guard.

The group arrived at an open space, which was some distance from where the laborers were working. The area was relatively secluded with some cover.

Han Lei closed her eyes, her consciousness entered the system panel, and she quickly purchased ten three-wheeled motorcycles.

As she operated the vehicle, ten brand-new three-wheeled motorcycles suddenly appeared on the open ground, their beautiful red paint shining exceptionally brightly in the sunlight.

Old Meng and Zhang Ergou were startled by the sudden sight. Zhang Ergou's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but swallow.

"Your Highness, are you...are you a deity?"

They all knew that Han Lei often managed to produce things out of nowhere, but it was usually limited to small gadgets like food or stun guns. They never expected that this time it would be so many big items.

Han Lei glanced at him and said jokingly, "No, I'm a monster."

"puff!"

Zhao Zun almost burst out laughing when he heard this.

He suddenly remembered that when Han Lei first arrived at the Beiguan military camp, some soldiers suspected she was a monster, and as a result, she gave them a severe beating.

"Your Highness, what are these things?"

Old Meng asked curiously, his hand already stroking the body of the three-wheeled vehicle.

Han Lei walked over to a three-wheeled vehicle, patted the body, and explained, "This is called a three-wheeled vehicle. It's faster than a horse-drawn carriage and has a larger carrying capacity, making it very suitable for transporting cement and raw materials. However, someone needs to learn how to drive it."

"I'll learn!" Zhang Ergou immediately raised his hand, his face full of excitement.

"I want to learn too!" Old Meng was not to be outdone.

Even Zhao Zun was eager to try, saying, "Since everyone is so interested, why don't we all learn it?"

Han Lei nodded and began to patiently teach them how to drive.

She first explained the basic operating steps, and then personally demonstrated how to start, accelerate, steer, and brake.

The three-wheeled vehicle is an electric vehicle, and it is actually not complicated to operate. The group quickly mastered the essentials.

Zhang Ergou was the first to try driving. He carefully sat in the driver's seat, mimicking Han Lei's movements, gripped the handlebars, and gently twisted the accelerator. The three-wheeled vehicle slowly moved forward. He was thrilled, "It moved! It really moved! This thing is amazing!"

Lao Meng and Zhao Zun also took turns test driving and quickly became proficient.

The ground was uneven, and the three-wheeled vehicle made a thumping sound as it ran, attracting people working in the distance to crane their necks and look in this direction.

Han Lei stood to the side, watching their excited expressions, a slight smile playing on her lips.

The three-wheeled vehicles hauled materials, making long round trips every day. The only problem they needed to solve was charging. Since many of the things they would use in the future would require charging, Han Lei decided to simply buy a diesel generator.

While they were practicing, Han Lei bought a 5,000-watt diesel generator and some tools such as shovels and spades from the system.

Han Lei squatted on the ground, connecting the power strip to the engine while glancing at them practicing from time to time.

Men are naturally drawn to mechanical things, and Zhao Zun and his two bodyguards were learning to drive for the first time, so their excitement was palpable.

"With these three-wheeled vehicles, moving those stones will be much faster."

Zhao Zun stopped his tricycle in front of Han Lei, his face beaming with undisguised joy.

Han Lei nodded: "We can organize a group of people to drive the three-wheeled vehicles, which will greatly speed up the cement plant's production progress."

A hint of gratitude flashed in Zhao Zun's eyes. He habitually ruffled Han Lei's hair and said softly, "Girl, it's all thanks to you. Without you, I wouldn't even dare to think about that."

Han Lei looked up and rolled her eyes at him. "Hmph! I wonder if I owed you something in my past life."

"Hehe." Zhao Zun massaged even more vigorously, his eyes full of doting affection. "You owe me a lot, the better, you can never repay it in your lifetime. Hehehe."

"Ugh!" Han Lei looked up at the sky speechlessly.

Just then, Lao Meng and Zhang Ergou drove up in their three-man truck, laughing and joking.

"Hahaha. Your Highness, this three-wheeled motorcycle is really cool. Can I have one?"

Zhang Ergou jumped off the tricycle and looked at Han Lei with a pleading expression.

Seeing that Zhang Ergou had gotten there first, Lao Meng, you'd better hurry up and ask for it.

"Your Highness, you can't just give it to him and not to me, I want some too."

"Ahem!" Zhao Zun coughed lightly and said seriously, "Stop fooling around. You two are responsible for selecting a group of clever people to learn how to drive the three-wheeled vehicles as soon as possible. With such handy tools, we need to put them to use as soon as possible and not delay our work."

Upon hearing that they would be in charge of teaching how to use the three-wheeled motorcycle, Lao Meng and Zhang Ergou were overjoyed and replied in unison, "Yes, Your Highness!"

They learned how to ride three-wheeled vehicles. Zhao Zun and his two bodyguards each drove one. Han Lei sat next to Zhao Zun, and they went together to the place where iron ore was mined.

Limestone is not very hard and can be mined using tools such as shovels and spades. However, bauxite is hard and more difficult to mine.

Therefore, Han Lei decided to go to the place where iron ore was mined to help the laborers.

When selecting a site for the cement plant, the first thing to do was prospecting. Zhao Zun, accompanied by his personal guards, rode around almost every part of Fufeng County.

According to Han Lei's description, they located the bauxite mine. They deliberately built the cement plant at the foot of this mountain.

Zhao Zun and his two bodyguards each drove a three-wheeled vehicle, while Han Lei sat beside Zhao Zun. The group headed towards the site where iron ore was mined.

Three three-wheeled motorcycles lined up on the narrow mountain road, with Zhao Zun at the very front. The thumping sounds of the motorcycles echoed through the mountains, and the wheels kicked up clouds of dust as they rolled over the rugged road.

"The place where the bauxite mine is located is not far from the cement plant; it only takes about an hour by tricycle."

Zhao Zun said to Han Lei while holding the handle.

Han Lei nodded, her brows furrowing slightly: "Iron bauxite is much harder than limestone. The laborers' tools are outdated, so I'm afraid they can't keep up with the pace of mining."

Zhao Zun smiled, his tone brimming with confidence: "Aren't we going to deliver shovels? With you in charge, what's there to be afraid of?"

Han Lei glanced at him, a slight smile playing on her lips: "You certainly know how to talk."

The three-wheeled vehicle drove along the mountain road. After turning a bend, the mountains in front of us were no longer covered with lush trees, but were instead barren and jagged with rocks, clearly indicating that we had entered a mine.

Han Lei looked down at the narrow and rugged mountain road. Even with foam padding on the seats of the three-wheeled vehicle, the road surface was so bumpy that her buttocks ached.

She needs to repair this road first, as she has to travel back and forth to haul materials every day.

Otherwise, not only will it be bumpy, but the tires of the three-wheeled vehicle won't be able to withstand the turbulence.

"Is there a water source around here?" Han Lei asked, rubbing her bottom and baring her teeth.

Zhao Zun stared intently ahead, pointed in one direction, and then quickly gripped the handle.

"Not far from there is the Qulin River, and across the river is Xuzhou. There are two stone bridges that lead to Xuzhou."

Han Lei looked in the direction he pointed and nodded.

"Oh, so that's Qulinjiang!"

She had heard of Qu Linjiang; she had even drawn on the map when she drew a simple map for Tao Qing and the others last time.

Unexpectedly, Cangzhou and Xuzhou are separated by only a river. Since there is a stone bridge connecting them, it will be much more convenient for her to sell her goods to Xuzhou in the future.

As Han Lei was planning her business, the three-wheeled vehicle approached the mining site. In the distance, she could see laborers wielding outdated tools, sweating profusely as they dug into the hard iron oxide clay.

Although their movements were forceful, progress was obviously very slow when faced with such hard ore.

When the laborers heard the swaying of the three-wheeled vehicle, they looked up and saw this "monster" they had never seen before. They were so frightened that their faces turned pale and they almost dropped their tools.

"What...what is that?" an elderly laborer asked in a trembling voice, his eyes filled with terror.

"Don't be afraid, that looks like the prince, the prince is here!"

Another sharp-eyed laborer recognized Zhao Zun, who was driving the three-wheeled vehicle, and quickly reassured everyone.

The three-wheeled vehicle stopped by the roadside, and Zhao Zun jumped off first, reaching out to help Han Lei.

The area was filled with scattered rocks, making it extremely difficult for Han Lei, dressed in an ancient-style long dress, to walk.

She frowned and complained in a soft voice, "This dress is such a nuisance."

Zhao Zun chuckled and teased, "Want me to carry you across?"

Han Lei rolled her eyes at him and said irritably, "Stop talking nonsense, business is more important."

As the two approached the mining center, the laborers stopped their work and came over to respectfully bow to Zhao Zun.

Han Lei looked around and saw that the laborers looked exhausted and their tools were very outdated. She couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

"Everyone, move back a bit over there," Han Lei said loudly, pointing in the direction they had come from.

The laborers had never seen her before and didn't know who she was. When they saw her give orders as soon as she arrived, they looked at each other in bewilderment and all cast questioning glances at Zhao Zun.

Seeing this, Zhao Zun quickly said, "Uh... I forgot to tell everyone, this is my queen. From now on, just remember to do whatever the queen asks you to do. Quickly take your things and move over there."

Upon hearing Zhao Zun say that Han Lei was a princess, the laborers all did as instructed, bowing to Han Lei before taking their tools and walking away into the distance.

"Retreat, retreat again."

Han Lei kept waving to them.

Zhao Zun stood beside Han Lei, looking at the laborers who had already retreated quite a distance, and asked in a low voice, "What do you plan to do?"

Han Lei didn't speak, only smiled mysteriously. Then she purchased industrial explosives from the system and began skillfully setting them up.

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