Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 482: Living in the North is Not Easy

Temporary shelter area outside the east gate of Xinghuo City.

Only the last rays of sunlight remained floating on the top of the mountain, and the towering city walls nearby and the turbulent glacial river in the distance were all stained with brilliant gold.

Several relief canteens set up at street intersections in the temporary shelter area also emit the tempting aroma of food on time.

"It's oatmeal... but it must have meat in it. I can smell the aroma of meat!" Dave, who had been busy and hard all day, couldn't help swallowing.

His fellow countrymen who had rushed back to the shelter before him were already standing in the food queue. Seeing Dave arriving late, they quickly jumped up and waved, "Dave! Dave! Come here!"

Dave shrunk his neck and squeezed to the front. Although cutting in line like this might anger everyone, at most they would curse at him or push him, and no one would fight.

Because no matter how far down the list you are, the relief canteen always ensures that everyone gets enough food. Those responsible for distributing meals will even give an extra meal to some strong people who do heavy physical work.

Since everyone can eat their fill, there is no need to resort to violence. Whether in the city or in the shelter, one can always see those half-human, half-mechanical monsters - the terrifying existence called Security Patrol.

Dave had witnessed a few days ago that a man from Fengyuan City, who had arrived a week later than them, tried to harass a young girl who had fled from Montenegro after work in the evening... Before the girl's screams had died down, a patrolman suddenly rushed in from the street corner, waving his terrifying metal arms, and grabbed the unlucky and lustful man and pressed him to the ground.

The creepy sound of the guy's arm breaking was so loud that Dave could hear it clearly even though he was watching the excitement from across the street. He was afraid that his arm was completely broken.

Yes, innocently harassing and teasing others... even if they are lowly refugees, is a crime punishable by detention in Xinghuo City. If caught on the spot, cooperating obediently may only result in a broken arm.

But if you really commit the serious crime of rape, you will have to live in a dark mine for the rest of your life.

It is said that the laws of Xinghuo City treat everyone equally regardless of their status. From the mayor to the city hall manager, down to the newly relocated refugees, anyone who breaks the local law will be taken to the Ministry of Justice for trial by the police. The final trial results will also be regularly announced in the large square in front of the city hall to warn and comfort the people in the city.

Although Dave was an illiterate peasant, he knew that robbery, murder, theft and rape were serious crimes that must not be committed. In addition, the city strictly prohibited the public promotion of church beliefs... No matter how many laws there were, he either didn't understand them or couldn't remember them. In order to avoid breaking the law out of ignorance, he had been maintaining a daily routine since he got the work contract, traveling only between the factory and the shelter outside the east gate, and never wandering around the city at will.

He even didn't dare to contact Benny, his childhood friend from the same hometown who he always missed, who was serving in the Northern Army...for fear that if he broke into the military camp looking for someone, he would be labeled a spy trying to gather military secrets.

Besides his long-standing cautious nature, there was another, more important reason for his cautious and careful life: the salary and benefits of the job he had just landed were simply too generous. Dave still remembered the first day he was led into the city, to a large workshop complex not far from the east gate, and waited anxiously for what the city officials called an "interview."

He was rejected several times because of his illiteracy and short stature, and he had almost given up hope... But when he arrived at a workshop called "Vegetable Canning Factory", he was lucky enough to be noticed by the manager in charge of the workshop.

The work is not the heavy physical labor as imagined, but standing next to a long iron track that rolls by itself, and sticking red, green and yellow labels on iron cans as big as sand bowls.

Work while standing for two hours, then take a quarter-hour break, change to a piece of metal track, and continue working for two hours... half a day's work in the morning is completed, and then there is an incredible one-hour lunch break. In the afternoon, you can sit on a high chair and complete the same labeling work as in the morning.

What’s the difference between this and lying down and doing nothing, eating and drinking for free and getting paid?

What's more, the work contract clearly stated a monthly salary of 60 gold yuan. After deducting his travel expenses, food and accommodation to the north, he could still get at least 50 gold yuan.

Dave was not quite sure about the exchange value between gold yuan and ordinary silver and copper coins, so a kind local worker took him to a convenience market not far from the factory after work.

The rye bread that was commonly eaten by the lower classes in the South was not available in the market. Two pounds of higher quality barley bread could be bought for one gold dollar, which was enough to fill the stomach of a heavy laborer who carried heavy bags at the dock all day.

It is unbelievable that pork costs one dollar and a half, smoked pork two dollars... Fresh meats with better quality and flavor, such as chicken, duck, beef, and mutton, are mostly priced within five dollars. Because it is close to the glacier river, fish is especially cheap... It is said that as the salmon season gets deeper into winter, fresh live fish in the convenience market are almost sold at half price or given away!
Even those processed food stores that seemed to be crowded and extremely popular were taken for a tour by the workers. The workers also kindly told Dave that even the most expensive southern seafood, wilderness game, local craft wines, and processed foods with all kinds of rare spices were enough for him to pick out and enjoy one every month with his salary, so there was no need to be too frugal.

This was enough to make Dave, who was used to eating black bread in summer and autumn and bran cakes in winter and spring, starve, so shocked that he couldn't close his mouth.

Just by half-standing and half-sitting in the workshop for a month, putting labels on cans, he could actually live the life of an ordinary middle-class resident in the royal capital... If he hadn't experienced a long journey to get here, he would have thought he was suffering from hysteria.

The coworkers seemed accustomed to seeing him, a country bumpkin who had migrated all the way from the southern border... The more surprised and shocked Dave was, the higher the corners of their mouths curled up, and they seemed very proud and enjoying Dave's attitude and reaction.

Before parting, a coworker patted Dave's shoulder, who was completely immersed in joy, and said gently, "Eating is the first priority, but if you don't want to live outside the city forever, with less than ten square meters of space and six people squeezing into hard bunk beds... you must work hard and strive to get a permanent job as soon as possible. Once you get a formal employment contract, you can go to the city hall and apply to move into the city."

The worker's words, like the devil's whisper of temptation, lingered in Dave's ears for a long time. "The worst living conditions in the city are at least a two-bedroom bungalow, 20 to 30 square meters in size, with a bedroom, living room, bathroom, and kitchenette... For less than half your salary in rent, you can live there comfortably..."

(End of this chapter)