Munitions Empire

"My father doesn't make 20,000 Gold Coins a year!" Alice spoke with a bit of resentment, "If you consider this a small business, then what I do can hardly be called business, right?"

"Miss Alice's family has a big enterprise, naturally, she's in the big business league," Tang Mo chuckled and then looked towards John with a smile, asking, "What's for dinner tonight?"

"Of course, I'll go with whatever the host decides. What do you usually eat here?" John asked curiously, his interest piqued.

Wes looked up at the sky, and in that moment, he remembered Aunt Cui Xi's specialty, the small fish stewed with green cucumber. That dish had left numerous martial arts masters vomiting once it was introduced; it could truly be described as something that could shock the heavens and move the spirits.

Wes prayed silently in his mind that today's meal wouldn't be one of Aunt Cui Xi's signature dishes.

"Indeed, I also believe there must be some delicacies here that I've never tried," Alice said as she gently swept her temple hair aside, equally eager to give it a try.

"Actually, I don't have any special meals here, I eat the same as the workers," Tang Mo made an indifferent gesture before saying to Alice, "If you two are interested, would you like to take a tour of the steam engine workshop?"

"Yes!" John and Alice exclaimed almost simultaneously, and they glanced at each other, each seeing a wary look in the other's eyes.

The steam engine workshop had a completely different feel to it; everything here seemed very fresh.

In this place, Tang Mo didn't just produce steam engines, he also manufactured numerous mother machines for machine tools. The workers here needed to be more skilled, and all the equipment exuded a cutting-edge, epoch-making aura.

Under Parker's supervision, the workers toiled diligently, and in the center of the workshop stood a newly manufactured machine tool, waiting for its tests.

This machine tool, designed for producing drill presses, incorporated some new technologies and was made from metal materials produced with novel smelting techniques.

Just seeing these things was enough to guess how high-end this place was. Both Alice and John hardly dared breathe a word, holding their breath and concentrating so as not to miss any important detail.

Unfortunately, they had nothing to fear from looking around, as it was Tang Mo's reliance on high-precision technology that allowed him to create such sophisticated equipment.

Moreover, Tang Mo wasn't worried at all that they would realize that the machine tools in this workshop were using a specially made transmission device known as an electric motor.

Because in this world, electricity wasn't an energy source that humans could easily harness, and people didn't know the working principle of electric motors.

Including Alice, all the visitors could only notice that the machinery equipment was clean and well-kept, not as interconnected and complex as the other workshops they had seen before.

Naturally, they weren't aware that beneath their feet, metal wires were buried in the ground. Neither did they know that compared to the previous workshops, this one represented a higher level of technology.

"If you order steam engines, they will be produced right here," Tang Mo gestured widely with open arms to everyone.

"Can I take home a complete set of equipment?" John leaned in towards Tang Mo, inquiring in as low a voice as he could manage.

The environment was quite noisy, so his so-called low voice could, in some respects, be considered shouting.

Meanwhile, Alice, standing beside a machine, pretended not to have heard anything, and worked hard to put on a look of being engrossed in observing the workshop.

She examined a processing machine tool and watched a worker gently push a wrench in his hand. The piece attached to the wrench was grinding brightly on the fast-moving grinder.

Then, she saw a familiar face, Dwarf Mathews, engaged in discussion with a technical worker.

Because of the distance, she couldn't tell what they were talking about, but she swore she had never seen such a radiant smile from Mathews in Northern Ridge.

"As long as you sign the contract, we can have a whole set of equipment ready for you before your fleet sets sail! Trust me! This equipment would enable you to establish your own weapons production factory in the Poplar Kingdom!"

"The Elf Race will always remember your kindness! My friend! The Poplar Kingdom will surely keep in mind your generosity!" John, overwhelmed with emotion, grabbed Tang Mo's hand without noticing the ring on Tang Mo's finger that was quite an eyesore to him.

His favorite ring was now just an ornament on Tang Mo's finger, and his most cherished pocket watch sat quietly in Tang Mo's pocket at this very moment.

"Mr. Tang, do you have a moment? Could you come over here?" Alice waved at Tang Mo from beside a machine.

"You see! Being handsome is always popular, isn't it?" Tang Mo made an apologetic gesture and said regretfully to John.

"Believe me, my friend! She's not looking for you because you're handsome," John scoffed, gesturing for Tang Mo to hurry up, "It's because you are rich now! Go on! Maybe tonight you'll be battling until late. Hahahaha!"

"Hahahaha!" Tang Mo laughed while pointing at John, then backed away, turned, and headed towards Alice.

"I had never thought that I'd come here and, in the end, could only take four ships, maybe even three, to leave," John said as he gazed at the distant figure of Tang Mo, speaking to his own captain stationed behind him.

"However, we brought back something more important," declared the captain of the Elf Race, confidently.

"Indeed! Today is really our lucky day," John exclaimed with excitement.

"Yes, sir!" the captain continued, nodding.

To one side, Tang Mo stood watching Alice's beautiful visage, waiting for the young girl to speak first.

Alice did not keep Tang Mo waiting long; after pondering for a few seconds, she spoke, "I've come here with several matters in mind."

"It would be my pleasure to serve you, my beautiful lady," Tang Mo's voice was as sweet as if dipped in honey.

"I would like to borrow ten steam engines from you and will repay the cost around September, next year," Alice said, carefully stating her first request.

"This... My capital is also quite fragile, miss. If I just give away ten steam engines to you, what will I use to continue expanding my factory?" Tang Mo wasn't quick to agree.

He had passed the age where a young girl's flirtatious glances could make him nod eagerly like an obedient dog. Now, he was more calculative, weighing the pros and cons of the entire situation.

"I know this request may seem a bit overmuch, but you know, the economic situation in Northern Ridge has really not been good recently. If we take out so much capital to buy your goods, our economy might very well collapse," Alice explained.

"May I ask what you are planning to do with so many steam engines?"

"I'm planning on increasing ore output and building a workshop to produce bullets," Alice revealed truthfully: "We're using up your bullets too quickly, so I hope to secure a more stable backup supply."

"That makes sense. Making bullets yourself could potentially be cheaper, aligning with Northern Ridge's long-term interests," Tang Mo nodded in approval, admiring Alice's approach: "The entry point is quite good."

"But have you considered why I would give you the machines, only to create a competitor for myself?" Tang Mo spread his hands, voicing his concern.

"You're not afraid of competition! You even sell machines to the Elves!" Alice called out Tang Mo's bluff.

Tang Mo gave no direct response, continuing instead, "The Elves are wealthy; they paid one hundred and sixty thousand Gold Coins. Though half has yet to arrive, I can receive the other half immediately."

"That's impossible, how could they have so much money?" Alice exclaimed in surprise.

"That's the answer to the question you just asked. I can tell you... they've sold their fleet to me, including all the slave sailors," Tang Mo replied casually.

He wasn't worried at all about Alice knowing his strength; after all, displaying it appropriately was part of the negotiation.

"We, Northern Ridge... we don't have that kind of money," Alice felt the pressure instantly, as she could not afford for the region's economy to deteriorate further over these machines.

Although the machines could eventually increase Northern Ridge's output, that would take time. The region couldn't afford to pause for a month, waiting for the deployment and initiation of production from these machines.

"However, Northern Ridge has been a longstanding client of mine, and the Lord Earl is a good friend," Tang Mo changed his tone as Alice began to feel slighted, speaking to himself.

After saying this, he turned his hopeful gaze back to Alice: "We can have a good talk. After dinner, when the Elves return to the docks, you can come to my room."

In an instant, Alice's face flushed red; she stared at Tang Mo, observing his now detestably sly and handsome face, and fell silent for a long while.

Tang Mo smiled, pointing towards the distant machines: "I need to demonstrate the operation of the steam engines to John in a while... Miss Alice, please feel free to look around and consider this place as your own home, there's no need to be a stranger."

After finishing his words, he turned and walked towards John, who was waiting for him, without looking back.

Alice watched Tang Mo's retreating figure, huffing in indignation, careful not to let him hear her. She felt utterly powerless against Tang Mo's rudeness and thought him utterly detestable at that moment.

At night... A girl like her... How dare that scoundrel entertain such thoughts?

Using these machines as bargaining chips? Blackmailing her? It was despicable!

Did he really... want to die? Alice thought angrily to herself.