Warhammer: Starting with Industrial Revolution

The roar of the machine tools made the steel plate beneath my feet tremble slightly, and the heat wave mixed with the smell of machine oil and metal shavings hit me in the face.

Luo Ning stood beside the production line, his fingers holding the production capacity report that the foreman had just handed him. His eyes swept over the numbers, and a hint of satisfaction was hidden in his eyes.

In just one month, the efficiency of the entire ammunition production line nearly doubled.

Previously, workers had to work three shifts and work overtime to barely meet the monthly quota. Now, thanks to the upgraded machine tools and optimized processes, they can easily meet the quota during the day shift.

The Governor's Office also implemented a tiered reward system, where the more work was done and the higher the yield rate, the greater the reward.

More importantly, these rewards are not just empty promises; workers can earn those tangible rewards through their own efforts.

Some people would even get together during breaks to figure out how to adjust their operating techniques to be faster and produce fewer defective products.

In front of the shrine in the center of the production line, several mechanical priests were kneeling on the ground, their foreheads pressed against the cold steel plate, chanting long hymns of praise to the machine spirit through modified electronic throats.

Their prosthetic eyes gleamed with a scarlet light, filled with an almost manic fervor.

Luo Ning couldn't help but chuckle as he watched this scene.

When machine tools are equipped with brand-new precision parts and worn transmission structures are completely replaced, efficiency will naturally increase dramatically and failure rate will naturally drop dramatically. This is a very simple industrial logic.

But in the eyes of these mechanical priests, this was a gift that greatly pleased the machine spirit, a testament to their and Victor's careful nurturing of the sacred object.

Although the results were the same, he was happy to use this as an excuse to appease the Mechanicus, but he could never accept this almost superstitious logic.

However, he did not intend to correct the beliefs of these fanatical believers, after all, there really is a God in this universe, and one of them even has an inexplicable connection with him.

Viktor noticed Ronin and slowly walked towards him.

"Lord Ronin, the results of this transaction far exceeded expectations." Victor's voice had a synthesized, hoarse tone. "Most of the serviced machine tools have undergone maintenance and parts replacement. The remaining older equipment can be upgraded once the replacement parts from the traveling merchants arrive. In addition, we have completed the blueprint verification and basic construction of a completely new product line."

"A completely new product line?" Luo Ning suddenly turned his head to look at Viktor, his eyes full of surprise.

He knew better than anyone that Victor, as the supreme leader of the Mechanicus on this planet, had absolute authority in the field of technology and did not need to report to him in advance for anything he did.

While Luo Ning was able to survive the initial tithe crisis, ostensibly by revitalizing production capacity through assembly line reforms, the biggest contributor behind the scenes was actually Viktor.

Whether it was the concealment and secret mining of chromium veins, the extreme maintenance of machine tools in the factory, or the fine-tuning of ammunition formulas, all of these were undertaken by this chief priest alone.

So when purchasing from Milleyn last time, Ronin directly told Viktor: just make a list of any missing parts or consumables, and he'll take care of the costs and distribution channels.

Victor certainly didn't hold back, and the orders he submitted almost emptied the governor's mansion's coffers. He even got him to sign a contract with Milley to postpone the final payment.

Fortunately, the factory's production capacity was sufficient for the past month, and the shortfall was made up by expedited orders, so as not to lose credibility with Milne.

But to his utter surprise, Victor not only completed the upgrade of all the machine tools in the factory, but also quietly prepared a brand new production line for him.

Viktor nodded slightly, the light from his mechanical eye flickering faintly, his tone remaining calm: "I noticed a significant gap in Lord Ronin's defenses, with manpower stretched thin. So I consulted the standard STC blueprints preserved by the church and built an automated sentry tower production line."

"Once the core control components for the traveling merchants arrive, production can begin immediately. The finished products can be deployed first around the chromium mines to fill security gaps."

He paused, then added, "On behalf of the church, I would like to express my gratitude to Lord Luo Ning for his continued full support of the maintenance of the Machine Soul."

Automatic sentry tower!

Luo Ning was deeply shocked; this surprise far exceeded his expectations.

He had worked with this shrewd and experienced chief priest for so long, and it was always he who took the initiative to make requests, with Victor cooperating to fulfill them.

This was the first time that Victor had taken the initiative to prepare such a big surprise for him, and had even completed the preparations quietly.

This planet has never lacked soldiers. Not long ago, his application to expand the army, which he submitted to Governor Mason of the sector, has been officially approved. He can recruit as many low-level laborers as he wants.

The problem is that the recruits are completely ineffective in combat. They are no match for the Chaos Cult or the Greenskins, and they even caught the mutants they encountered in the Forest of Death off guard.

Automatic sentry towers are different. Once deployed, their built-in heavy-duty explosive guns and infrared sensor modules can provide 24/7 coverage of the defense zone without blind spots. No training is required, and there is no need to worry about morale collapse, perfectly solving their most pressing security weakness.

Of course, he was also aware of Viktor's ulterior motives.

The mutant threat around the mine has not been completely eliminated, and the high-quality chromium vein is their unspoken top secret, as well as the lifeline of this planet's future.

Viktor's core objective has always been to protect this mine, to safeguard the foundation that allows him to focus on his research on the Machine Soul.

But this didn't stop Ronin from bowing deeply to him sincerely: "Thank you, Father Victor. In any case, everything you've done for this planet deserves this gratitude."

Just then, a guard rushed in and reported loudly, "Lord Ronin! News has come from the airport that Lord Milley's merchant fleet has docked!"

The person I had been waiting for for a whole month finally arrived on the afternoon of the last day of the appointment.

Luo Ning's mood instantly improved, and he immediately turned around and sped off towards the airport.

Milley did not disappoint him.

On the loading and unloading platform of Star Harbor, boxes of precision parts sealed with lead seals are being continuously transported out of the cargo hold. Each box corresponds to the urgently needed supplies on Victor's list, with the quantity and specifications exactly matching.

At the end of the loading and unloading line were the workers, medical staff, and veterans whom Luo Ning had been waiting for.

Millein leaned against the shipping container, crossed his arms, raised an eyebrow at him, and spoke with a hint of smugness:

"Look, Lord Ronin. The people you wanted, I've brought them to you. Mechanics, plumbers, circuit engineers, battlefield medics, and veterans of the Astrail Force—all top-notch personnel I handpicked from three star sectors. Not a single slacker."

He first arranged for someone to take the group of people to the prepared dormitories and settle them in properly before turning around, putting his arm around Milain's waist, and taking her home to thank her properly.

Only after Milley lost consciousness amidst bliss and screams did Ronin drag his weary body back to the governor's office to begin his next plan.

From the very beginning, he never intended for these 500 technical personnel to directly engage in frontline work.

It's such a waste to have these experienced senior technicians repairing water pipes and connecting electrical wires.

Only by passing on their skills, experience, and worldly knowledge from generation to generation, and cultivating tens of thousands of local technical talents for this city that has been rotten for thousands of years, can we truly solve the fundamental problem of development.

Blood transfusions are never as effective as blood production.

Governor Karl only glanced at the title of the proposal before his face turned pale instantly.

He sprang up from the governor's chair, staring at Ronin with an expression he hadn't shown in a long time, as if he were looking at a madman.

"Ronin! Are you insane?" Karl's voice trembled as he grabbed him and pressed him down. "You want to build a school? Do you know that's a grave crime of heresy and enlightenment?! We've only had a few days of peace, and you want to burn me at the stake again?"

Luo Ning wasn't surprised by his reaction; he just smiled helplessly.

He knew all too well that what was etched into Governor Carl's bones was a fear of heresy and of being burned at the stake.

He gently pressed on Karl's shoulder, his tone calm yet unwavering: "Sir, rest assured, I know what I'm doing. Calling it the school directly won't work; we need to find a different name."

"Before that, I need to go to the Church of the Holy Blood and pay my respects to Father Morin."

Seeing Governor Karl's dumbfounded expression, Ronin slowly stood up and gently patted him on the shoulder.