novelraw Chapter 423 : Transferring Production Capacity
Chapter 423 : Transferring Production Capacity
Chapter 423: Transferring Production Capacity
Recognizing words meant being able to understand warning signs, knowing what could be touched and what was dangerous. This was the most basic quality in a modern factory.
Hughes’s eyes lit up: “We can selectively summon a portion of these people. They are already members of the Cult of the Hidden, and their loyalty to Castel is relatively high. They can help fill the manpower shortage on the island.”
Castel had just sent out over a thousand people in one go. Although this would not cause a fatal impact on production capacity, it inevitably left things stretched thin.
Besides, the development of Gem Bay also required manpower. Otherwise, Hughes would not have been in such a hurry to establish literacy classes.
Looking at it now, it was fortunate that Blood Harbor had not been accepted as a fief. Otherwise, just managing that city alone would have devoured an unknown number of people, and the civil officials they had painstakingly trained would all have been consumed.
“Besides that, there are also a large number of peripheral members. They are not our formal believers, but they have basically attached themselves to the Cult of the Hidden. We hold considerable influence among them. With our propaganda this time, most of them attended the literacy classes.”
“How many people are in this group?”
“Hmm… eight hundred? A thousand? I can’t say for sure.”
This group would likely be the first batch to enter the factories in the future. With the backing of the Cult of the Hidden, letting them “eat crabs” would not be a big problem.
“By the way, how many people are left in Blood Harbor now?”
This question silenced the conference room. People exchanged glances and shook their heads with troubled expressions.
“Maybe several tens of thousands?”
“Definitely less than a hundred thousand.”
“Nonsense. Even before the Life Mother Church rebelled, there weren’t a hundred thousand!”
Population statistics in this era were generally inefficient and inaccurate. Lords’ men could hardly enter the slums to count accurately, and ordinary lords had no interest in doing so anyway.
Especially since Blood Harbor had been chaotic recently, estimating based on grain consumption was also difficult.
How many people were left in Blood Harbor—no one could say for sure.
After a round of debate, the conclusion was roughly twenty thousand, though the margin of error might still be large.
However, the proportion of young and able-bodied adults among this population was extremely high. Many elderly and children, who were less capable of protecting themselves, had already died during the chaos.
“The Prince once mentioned that we don’t need to worry about population,” Zoe said.
“Indeed, there’s no need to worry. Whether it is him fighting the Empire, or us fighting the Northlands, there will be no shortage of refugees,” Hughes sighed.
Human life was cheap in wartime, at least during the early stages.
“For now, let’s focus on spreading education in Blood Harbor while simultaneously setting up factories. Any further questions? Gaia, what is it?”
Gaia had her hand raised. She spoke: “My lord, I would like to ask, should we transfer part of the nitroglycerin production line to Blood Harbor?”
At those words, the room immediately erupted:
“What?”
“How could we transfer that? What if they use the explosives against us?”
“Not to mention, does Blood Harbor have enough raw materials? There are no olive trees there!”
“And is it safe? Our island workers are guaranteed. Those workers outside haven’t even finished literacy class!”
But Gaia remained unfazed: “Transporting explosives is very troublesome. Even though we have been careful, accidents have still occurred—the weather of the Storm Ocean is unpredictable. Besides, is nitroglycerin really such advanced stuff?”
“All weapons and ammunition can only be produced through the cooperation of an entire industrial system. If there’s only nitroglycerin…”
Gaia shrugged: “Then it can only be used to treat heart disease.”
Indeed, nitroglycerin was a qualified explosive, but for Castel it was closer to a raw material, merely one link in the chemical industry chain.
Hughes nodded: “I understand what you mean, Gaia. You are suggesting moving the highly dangerous factories outside, correct?”
Gaia nodded.
“I was just about to bring up this point. Castel indeed has some factories prepared for relocation, but let’s discuss the explosives line further.” Hughes signaled to Connor to distribute materials to everyone. “Please take a look at this.”
It was a report on the mining sites.
“Castel’s mineral resources are abundant, diverse, and relatively easy to extract. Everyone knows this,” Hughes sighed. “But several mines have already been dug from open-pit all the way down underground.”
Everyone stared at each other for a moment, then all turned to look at—Tata.
“W-why are you all looking at me?” Tata turned his gaze away guiltily.
“So the underground iron ore can actually be used up? I thought it was endless.”
“The northern port of Castel has already piled up into a Lighthouse.”
“They say some people can hear the sorrowful songs of sunken ships at night.”
“Yeah, Ship’s Souls have even been born!”
“People who don’t know would think we’re reclaiming land from the sea. But hey, filling with ships is really quick.”
“Tata, are you really building ships? Looks more like you’re building islands.”
“Don’t joke, I heard the new ship design is as big as an island. You might actually hollow Castel out.”
Tata’s eyes widened: “How can you slander my innocence out of thin air?”
“Innocence, my foot! I saw with my own eyes your ship sinking—three times!”
“I saw it five times!”
“I saw it seven!”
Tata’s face flushed red, veins bulging on his forehead. He argued: “Th-this is a necessary detour in shipbuilding. It can’t be helped!”
The conference room was filled with laughter.
Hughes sighed: “Alright, alright. Shipbuilding indeed requires some missteps. Everyone here is engaged in research, so I don’t need to elaborate. What I want to say is that Castel needs to transfer a portion of its industry outside.”
“Of course, only a portion. Our island’s iron mines are not yet exhausted, but we should temporarily stop this kind of mining. Leave some as reserves and research how to import the rest.”
He pointed to the markings on the document.
“These are several mines in Gem Bay. I looked into it, and the variety is quite rich. In the future, we will transfer part of the heavy industry there, while another part, just as Gaia suggested, will be shifted to Blood Harbor.”
“Why transfer to Blood Harbor, my lord?” Nini asked curiously.
“First of all, Blood Harbor is a port, and sea transport is the lowest-cost mode of transportation. In the future, raw materials will move in and out from there. Second, it is because of our expedition to the Northlands.”
Castel’s expedition to the Northlands relied on railways. Laying tracks all the way required an enormous amount of steel.
But if a steel plant was built directly in Blood Harbor, it would be much more convenient. As long as this steel plant’s capacity covered the needs of the railway, it would be enough.
Relocating outdated production capacity, accelerating Blood Harbor’s industrialization, and solving expedition supplies—three birds with one stone!