Warhammer: Starting with Industrial Revolution

The improved process was so effective that Governor Karl was overjoyed and treated Ronin like the apple of his eye.

Within three days, Luo Ning's improved procedures had been successively promoted to ten factories in Chaodu.

Looking at the report, the overall yield rate of Nest City finally stabilized at 47%, and the manufacturing efficiency doubled compared to before.

Not enough, still not enough.

Even if this production capacity is maintained, it will only be able to barely make up for one-tenth of the tax revenue from that year after three months. The deficit from the previous two periods will not be filled at all.

Moreover, he was well aware that a 47% yield rate was far from the limit. The two core issues of machine tool wear and insufficient purity of raw materials had not yet been resolved, and there was still huge room for improvement in production capacity.

He had just picked up the report on the quality of the raw materials when the office door was suddenly flung open.

Governor Karl stumbled in, clutching reports, his voice trembling with tears: "It's all over, Ronin! Everything's ruined! Another accident at the factory!"

Since Ronin began reforming the procedures, Governor Karl had completely delegated authority to him, and he could finally leisurely stroll around the hive city he ruled, no longer having to worry about losing his hair every day.

But it is clear that Governor Carl was greatly shocked after visiting the factory today.

Luo Ning quickly stood up. The factory was their lifeline. They had finally improved the yield rate a little, and they couldn't afford any more problems!

Looking at the text on the report, the first line, highlighted in red, clearly states: "Yield rate has dropped! Less than 25%!"

He had a vague sense of unease and immediately rushed out of the governor's office.

Upon entering the factory, proceed to the final sampling test room, where one round of ammunition will be randomly selected for a test firing out of every hundred rounds.

Now, the testing room is covered in blood, the guns used for testing are broken and fragments are scattered all over the floor.

The supervisors all stated that there were no problems in the process they were overseeing, and that the workers were strictly following the work instructions.

Governor Karl beside him was completely devastated. He looked at Ronin for help, but Ronin had no interest in comforting him.

The assembly line reform has been running smoothly for three days, and the workers are already proficient in its operation. It's impossible for such a big mistake to happen overnight. It's too much of a coincidence that the yield rates of all four factories dropped on the same day.

Luo Ning squatted on the ground, carefully examining the spent cartridge cases that had fallen to the ground.

Without exception, all the bullets that exploded from the bottom. After repeatedly comparing them with the qualified ones, his eyes grew colder and colder.

Back inside the factory, the workers were still working diligently, and everything seemed to be in perfect order.

Not far away, Chief Mechanic Viktor was inspecting a machine tool.

"Praise be to the Divine Emperor, praise be to the Lord of All Functions." Luo Ning greeted the other party first. "I heard that the factory's yield rate has suddenly dropped drastically. Does the priest know anything about it?"

The chief mechanical priest's prosthetic eye, hidden beneath his hood, flickered eerily for a moment before he slowly opened his mouth to speak: "I've heard some rumors that Lord Ronin's changes to the process have angered the machine spirit. Unfortunately, I haven't noticed anything unusual about the machine spirit."

"I think so too." Luo Ning said with a sneer.

But the next second, he forcibly suppressed his anger, walked to the high platform in the center of the factory, and struck the bell.

"Everyone! Stop what you're doing! Assemble!"

All the workers looked up at Luo Ning in the center. Urged on by the supervisor, soon everyone from Factory No. 1 had gathered around.

"After the factory implemented process reforms, everyone worked diligently and responsibly, successfully more than doubling the yield rate and production efficiency! To reward everyone present, His Excellency the Governor has granted each of us in Factory No. 1 the privilege of one day off per month, starting today. Simply apply to your foreman in advance! Thank you, His Excellency the Governor!"

As he spoke, he stepped aside, pushing the bewildered Governor Karl to the front of the stage.

"Thank you, Governor!" The workers cheered, their shouts even drowning out the deafening noise from the nearby machine tools.

After all, in the world of Warhammer 40, human life is the cheapest consumable. In order to be loyal to the Empire, everyone works more than 14 hours a day in exchange for having their own housing and a stable food ration.

Their only rest in life will probably be the day their lives end.

Hearing Luo Ning's words, the idea of ​​having one day off per month seemed like an unbelievable fantasy to them.

He cleared his throat and continued, "At the same time, the Governor-General will also commend outstanding workers! Those whose names are heard, step forward!"

He took the roster from the foreman next to him and selected several numbers from various departments.

One by one, several people stepped out from the crowd: two new workers, two skilled workers, and three veteran workers. They stood at the front of the crowd with blank expressions on their faces.

"You few are workers who have performed exceptionally well over the past few days, as determined by statistics. As a reward, the Governor will grant you an artificial protein ration today, which the guards will bring to you shortly."

Luo Ning's words caused an uproar among the workers below.

Artificial protein was something only nobles could afford to eat.

For low-level workers like them, the only food they can eat on a daily basis is basically corpse starch, algae bread, or synthetic porridge—foods that taste disgusting and can barely keep them from starving.

"Quiet!" Ronin shouted, raising his hand. Instantly, all eyes were on him. "The Governor cares for the people. As long as you work hard, even greater rewards await you in the future!"

Amid cheers, Ronin and the governor left the factory.

Having just returned to his office, Governor Karl hadn't uttered a single word the entire way, but now that it was just the two of them, he couldn't hold back any longer. He grabbed Ronin's clothes, his face full of confusion.

"What are you doing? Aren't we here to hang the damned traitors who are affecting our yield rate? Why are we rewarding them?"

Ronin smiled mysteriously. "Don't worry, Governor. A high-pressure policy will only make these workers more united. Even if we re-examine them, we won't get any results. Right now, only a few people have benefited. Jealousy and greed will soon take hold, and the trust between them will quickly collapse."

Governor Karl was stunned for a long time before he reacted. He chuckled foolishly, "So that's how it can be done? I didn't expect you to be so cunning."

Luo Ning smiled but didn't say anything more, instead looking down at the raw material quality report on the table.

The damage caused by the workers is just a minor ailment that can be resolved quickly.

The real tough nut to crack is the mine.

All the ores in Vatos VII are controlled by Baron Hark, a local hereditary nobleman.

This man has been operating on the planet for decades and has connections everywhere. Even Governor Karl has to treat him with respect.

The ore purity was insufficient and the metal conversion rate was low. In essence, Baron Harker used inferior ore to fill the gaps and line his own pockets.

To further improve the yield rate and increase production efficiency, this problem must be solved.

Just then, the office door was flung open by a guard, who, with an excited expression, shouted, "Your Excellency, Lord Ronin! The workers are fighting! Someone is requesting an audience, saying they know who's behind this sabotage!"

Governor Karl looked at Ronin in shock. He understood Ronin's plan, but he didn't expect it to come to fruition so quickly.

Ronin simply smiled slightly; everything was going according to plan. The lower classes living in the Warhammer Hive could endure hardship, but that was all on the premise that others were suffering even more.

Now that they see the people around them getting benefits they never dared to dream of, the sense of imbalance and betrayal comes so quickly.

"Let's go, Your Excellency. It's time to put an end to this farce."