Munitions Empire

"To the King of the Shen Country, do not heed the slanderous words of the petty, lest you ruin the foundation built over a hundred years and err in the lives of millions of beings…" From the radio, the Tang Country's foreign affairs department was reading the letter from the Tang King to the King of the Shen Country.

Most of the civilians in Qi Country actually didn't feel any change in their lives—they were living the same daily routine, with the only difference being the additional crater holes that appeared near their doors a few days ago.

The war seemed to have ended quietly; in the vast majority of the lands of Qi Country, the common people didn't even hear the sounds of guns.

The progress of the Tang Army was so rapid that the previously planned, layered defense strategies to block their advance had become obsolete before being put into use.

And for the people inside Tang Country, the war seemed to have little to do with them.

Apart from the orders, still so many orders, that required them to work overtime in production and construction, the war seemed to only exist in the battle reports on the radio.

Every morning, they listened to the announcements of where the Tang Army had made breakthroughs upon waking, then listened to how many enemy troops the Tang Army had annihilated during meals…

Ultimately, it was only occasionally, when a family's door suddenly displayed a white mourning banner and a golden plaque was added below the house number, that everyone realized there had been another hero who had perished on the frontline.

These departed souls were true heroes who had brought glory to their country and even made their families different due to their passing.

Their families were exempted from half of the taxes, their children were entitled to better free education, and they even received some land to rent out and supplement their household income.

The civil affairs officer responsible for the area would visit regularly, inquiring about any hardships faced by families who had lost loved ones and would bring rice and flour for consolation.

The military also had its own surveyors to ensure that the allowances and other preferential treatments were implemented.

Though death is always a sad affair, being able to leave behind so much for a family through one's death made it seem less fearsome to many.

As the war progressed, the number of people signing up for the military increased, and many immigrants from Chu Country began to enthusiastically join the army, willing to trade their lives for a proper identity for their family members.

Being a Tang person was an enviable status for those living in Tang Country, a coveted identity, a... true identity.

"Dinner's ready! Dinner's ready!" The thunderous machinery could hardly drown out the foreman's loud calling as he walked between equipment taller than a person, shouting to the worker monitoring the gauge pressure.

The worker, covered in grease, spread his hands and wiped them on his clothes that seemed to wring out oil, showing an embarrassed smile, "Can't leave while the machines are running."

"You little rascal! Skipping lunch every day! Think an hour's overtime will make you rich, huh?" The supervisor feigned anger, slapping the young man's shoulder, "I have to bring your meal every time! You doggone runt!"

"Hehehe!" The young man grew even more embarrassed, scratching his head and not minding the grime from his fingers staining his hair, "My family is poor; it can't be helped."

In his memory, supervisors were often bossy and arrogant, prone to hitting or cursing people at the drop of a hat.

But after coming to Tang Country, his supervisor was more like a brother next door, working alongside his subordinates every day, toiling in the noisy workshop all day long.

Everyone was united, often producing more parts than required and then winning the honorary banner in the factory's production competition, becoming an exemplary workshop.

Earning the honor often meant rewards for everyone, an extra stipend of 15 silver coins a month, which for many families, was life-saving additional income.

With that money, one could buy medicine for a sick father—affordable yet effective medication available at the factory's infirmary.

With that money, one could pick out a new skirt for one's wife—after many years together, without ever buying her a new dress.

With that money, the family could buy some pork—the children were growing, and eating better could help them grow taller and stronger.

In short, with that money, life could gradually get a bit better.

The factory also had a rule, giving seven extra copper coins for each overtime hour—though it didn't sound like much, an extra hour of overtime every day meant an additional two silver coins a month, like picking up extra money.

It might not seem much but could afford some cigarettes to satisfy a craving, or buy candy to reward the kids, or even get some bath tickets and movie tickets to improve life a bit.

Bathing, for the people of this era, was definitely a luxury. Before coming to the Great Tang Kingdom, some might have bathed only a few times in their entire lives.

Now things were different; the factories of the Great Tang Group provided 24-hour hot water. The factory's steam engine and the cooling water circulation system could supply scalding hot water continuously, making bathing much less difficult.

The culture of bathhouses was almost tethered to that of the factories; the cooling water from the factories was nearly free, and the workers often got oily grime on them. Therefore, taking a bath after work became not only a necessity but also a social event.

In the changing rooms full of lockers, everyone was openly frank with one another, sitting together to chat about which girl in the neighboring archive was pretty, or how many points their children had scored in the latest exam. This was how more than a thousand people in a factory came to know each other.

Once inside, just by turning the tap, one could enjoy hot showers pouring over the body, slightly painful from the heat, a kind of masochistic pleasure.

After fully cleansing until the skin turned a slight red, groups of friends would head to the scalding large pool to soak together, leaving only their heads exposed to the refreshing water. The temperature and buoyancy made one feel light and heavenly, unbelievably exhilarating.

For 20 copper coins, you could have a master rub and scrub your back, tap it a bit, and hammer your shoulders, leaving you feeling entirely comfortable.

Then, going back under the shower to rinse off the dirt and lather up with soap, covering the entire body with foam and washing away all the grease, you were left only with an indescribable smoothness…

The entire process was paired with friends boasting and bantering, discussing the bullying Dahua Empire, and ranting about the treacherous dogs of Shi Country, which made the experience all the more authentic.

By the time you returned to the dressing room, hearing the Great Tang Kingdom's King's proclamation to the King of Shi Country on the radio sparked an instant sense of pride among the Tang People.

This was truly living like a human being!

"Take care of yourself!" advised the foreman before he made his way back through the gaps between the machinery, crisscrossed with pipes.

Indeed, the work environment here wasn't great; it was hot and noisy, and the only seat available was cramped and uncomfortable. But working here made him feel alive again, like a real person.

So he took down the towel that had been hardened by the heat of the pipes, kneaded it until it was somewhat softer, and hung it back in its place. He twisted two valves, maintaining the pressure at its normal level.

At the other end of the workshop, huge machinery was opening and closing, rolling out sections of steel plates, which were neatly stacked at the end of the machine.

Over there, a man who also wasn't planning to have lunch was monitoring the height of the steel plates. As soon as there were enough, he would have to move these plates and take them to the warehouse next door.

Next to their factory were continuous chimneys belching dense smoke, stretching into the distance and merging with even more chimneys to form a forest constructed of steel and concrete.

This was a new industrial zone built by the Great Tang Group to replace some of the factories that had been shut down outside of Brunas City.

On the newly constructed railway, a train whistled past; it was the latest model of locomotive made by the Great Tang Group, with greater hauling capacity and faster speed.

Following behind this train was a long chain of flat railcars, upon which stood a number of newly produced Tank No. 4s.

As more and more factories were put into production, the Great Tang Kingdom's capacity to produce Tank No. 4s also began to rise.

This batch of Tank No. 4s was to equip the 5th and 6th Armored Divisions, which were currently training in the western region of the Great Tang Kingdom and were in urgent need of weapons and equipment.

It couldn't be helped. Because they were going to war with Qi Country, the tanks that were meant for their training were diverted to the first four Armored Divisions.

As a result, they had to use horse carts and various other makeshift items to simulate tank training. The two divisions together could not even muster a hundred vehicles.

But as time passed, their difficulty was eventually resolved: a few days ago, due to sufficient production capacity, they received 50 Tank No. 4s ahead of schedule, finally living up to the name of an Armored Division.

From the radio in the factory canteen, the proclamation to the King of Shi Country continued: "Occupying our Beiyuan City is seeking one's own destruction! We hope that the King of Shi Country realizes reality and stops daydreaming. If you persist in this folly, the result will inevitably be self-humiliating! If Shi Country continues with its treacherous heart and fails to repent, then only death awaits!"

Underneath the loudspeaker, along the long tables, rows of workers were wolfing down their food. Clutched in their hands were snowy white buns, while their plates contained pickles and a bland cucumber soup. Nonetheless, they ate heartily, as this was already a meal hard to come by for them.

The factory offered a free lunch; though not much, it allowed those accustomed to only two meals a day to enjoy three meals daily. They had nothing to complain about; for them, this meal was already an extra benefit.

It's no exaggeration to say that perhaps only the Tang People had the luxury of eating three meals a day in the entire world!