Warhammer: Starting with Industrial Revolution

Without hesitation, Ronin and the governor immediately went to Factory No. 1, accompanied by guards.

Inside the factory, it was eerily quiet. Under the guards' guns, the workers knelt obediently on the ground, waiting for the arrival of Ronin and the governor.

Upon seeing them enter the factory, a slight commotion arose in the crowd, but it quickly subsided under the control of the guards.

Luo Ning stood on high ground, looking down at the workers below.

"I heard someone wants to report something to me?"

The crowd erupted in noise again, but they eventually quieted down in the face of the guards' guns.

Looking at the crowd below, Luo Ning smiled with satisfaction. "I know someone is secretly conspiring to sabotage the factory's progress. I know you are all loyal to the Empire, so I just want to know, who exactly is behind this sabotage?"

His voice was calm, yet it carried an air of authority without anger.

Soon, several people were pushed out of the crowd. They even had injuries on their faces. Luo Ning looked at them and saw that the most seriously injured person was the old worker he had randomly selected who had been given artificial protein as a reward for his hard work.

He walked down from the platform, stood in front of the old worker, and looked at him quietly.

"Is there anything you want to say?" Luo Ning's tone was calm, without the slightest ripple.

"Your scheme has succeeded. Laugh all you want, Your Excellency Ronin." The old worker's eyes were filled with anger and resentment, without the slightest fear. "You've ruined our livelihoods, you've destroyed our life's livelihood! We did nothing wrong!"

Luo Ning smiled, ignored him, and walked back onto the stage.

"Workers! I know this drop in yield rate is not as simple as it seems. We've dropped by more than 20 percentage points! This isn't something a few people could have done."

His voice echoed throughout the factory with the help of the loudspeaker. Looking down at the vast sea of ​​people below, he saw that many of them had tense expressions on their faces.

"But the Governor is magnanimous. This time, at least you didn't choose to continue making mistakes. The Governor has decided not to pursue the matter further. As long as you can improve the yield rate, the benefits promised to you before will remain in effect!"

"I hope you will cherish the Governor's favor and remember that the one thing this world has no shortage of is people; if you don't do it, plenty of others will!"

"But if someone can do a good job, do a brilliant job, then His Excellency the Governor will never let any talent go to waste!"

As Luo Ning delivered his passionate speech, he looked at the workers below, whose eyes had changed.

These workers were once just cheap machines made of flesh and blood; their only life consisted of working incessantly, and they could not stop even when they died.

But Luo Ning's reforms changed their lives. Their once numb eyes lit up again, and their lives seemed to have meaning for the first time!

In his previous life, he had enjoyed the empty promises his superiors made to him. In the world of Warhammer 40K, where human life is cheap, the effect of such empty promises is magnified countless times.

Even the few people who were pushed out looked at Luo Ning with a hint of excitement and anticipation.

Luo Ning looked at the group of people, slowly raised his hand, and the workers' commotion immediately stopped.

Everyone watched Luo Ning on the platform in silence, only to see him pull out a pistol from his pocket and fire several shots without hesitation.

With screams, everyone except the old worker had lost their lives.

"But remember this! There are rewards and punishments! You all better remember this: this is what happens to those who cause trouble!" He looked at the old worker with contempt in his eyes, "As for you, you don't even deserve to die."

He turned his head and looked at Viktor, who had been standing silently behind him, and the latter nodded knowingly.

"Your flesh and blood will be transformed into machine servants, to reflect in endless pain. May the God Emperor one day forgive your mistakes."

Upon hearing Ronin's words, the old worker's body went limp instantly. Before he could say anything, the guards, under Victor's command, had already dragged him away.

His curses and pleas echoed through the huge factory, but no one cared.

Back in the governor's office, the two waited for the latest report. This workday seemed to drag on endlessly, but it was finally delivered once again.

The yield rate has finally exceeded 50%!

Governor Karl was very satisfied with Ronin's actions and even offered him a glass of red wine. He felt as if he had seen a savior and found Ronin exceptionally pleasing to the eye.

But Ronin's mind wasn't on that; the mines run by Baron Harker were the real tough nuts to crack.

The main reasons for the low yield rate in the factory can be divided into three points: outdated production methods, machine tools worn to the point of being almost scrap, and most importantly, extremely substandard quality control of raw materials.

"Your Excellency, the factory should be fine for now, but I still need to go to the mine."

Ronin interrupted Governor Karl, speaking earnestly.

Governor Karl immediately deflated upon hearing Ronin's words. "Go to the mines? Hark won't listen to reason. What if we anger him and he finds an excuse to cut off our supplies for a month? That would be the end of the world!"

Ronin sighed. He knew exactly how difficult Baron Harker was, but the more difficult he was, the more he needed to solve the problem.

"We still have to go. Although the factory's yield rate has improved, we have too much debt. If we can't guarantee the quality of raw materials, the factory's manufacturing efficiency will never be significantly improved."

Listening to Ronin's words, Governor Karl could already feel the seriousness on his face.

"Alright, go ahead then. Remember to be polite and don't upset anyone. Our lives depend on the mine's stable output."

Luo Ning nodded and walked out of the office without saying a word.

Although he was once just a small factory worker, this time he had a chance to start over. Although the hope was slim, he was no longer willing to let others control his destiny.

The mine is located on the ground outside the hive city, a place filled with pollution and toxins. Ordinary people would die within a day without wearing protective clothing, and even if they didn't die, they would mutate due to radiation.

Accompanied by guards, Luo Ning quickly arrived at the mine. As he entered the mine, he noticed that the guards around him became highly tense.

Looking around, it was clear that this place had become Baron Harker's own kingdom.

Mercenaries were everywhere, and when they looked at Ronin, the governor's assistant, their faces showed no respect but rather mockery.

There were even merchant ships docked here, clearly engaged in some kind of transaction.

"Assistant Governor Luo Ning, it's been a long time. What brings you here today?"

Upon entering the mine's office, Baron Harker didn't even greet him proactively, only offering a token remark after Ronin went inside.

Ronin wasn't angry. In his predecessor's memories, he already knew what kind of person Baron Harker was.

He sat down expressionlessly and placed the report in his hand directly on the desk.

"Sir, the purity of the ore has been decreasing lately. The factory has submitted numerous test reports. I hope you can give me an explanation."

"Explanation? What explanation?" Baron Harker laughed in response to Ronin's question. "Why are you coming to me about low ore purity? You should go find a planet. I can't decide what kind of ore is mined."

As they spoke, both Baron Harker and his henchmen laughed arrogantly. They looked at Ronin in front of them and did not take him, the governor's assistant, seriously at all.

A gaunt man beside Baron Harker yelled in his hoarse voice, "How dare you, a mere assistant governor, be so disrespectful to our baron? Let me tell you, even if Karl himself came, he would have to treat our baron with utmost respect. Who do you think you are?"

Luo Ning looked at the other party and silently stood up. He knew that there was no way to communicate effectively with these local tyrants, so there was no need to communicate.

Baron Harker saw Ronin preparing to leave, but didn't even move his buttocks from his chair.

"Is Assistant leaving? Then I won't see you off. Be careful, after all, I heard that the Imperial Tax Commissioner will be arriving in three months. Cherish the last of your good days."

Luo Ning pulled back the angry guard beside him, knowing that now was not the time to start a conflict.

On the way back, I saw mercenaries everywhere in the mine, heavily guarded fortresses, and Baron Hark's arrogant and condescending attitude.

For the first time, a chilling killing intent arose in Luo Ning's eyes.