Chapter 109 Nomads from the Wilderness
Chapter 109 Nomads from the Wilderness
The moment Chu Guang stepped into Steel Plant No. 81, he felt that the temperature around him had instantly risen by several degrees, so much so that he even felt a little hot in his deerskin coat.
Looking forward, he saw two furnaces, one large and one small, placed in the center of the factory.
The outer shells of these furnaces are cast from molds, and refractory materials such as silica are laid inside as acidic furnace linings.
One of the blast furnaces with a blower is responsible for heating the scrap steel stuffed into the furnace to 1300 degrees and melting it into molten iron, while the other converter, which is supported by a concrete base and has six air inlets at the bottom, is responsible for blowing the 1300-degree molten iron into qualified molten steel.
This process does not require reheating.
The heat released by the oxidation process is enough to raise the temperature of the molten steel in the furnace from 1300 degrees to 1600~1700 degrees, and a certain amount of chromium is added in a specific proportion. After the smelting is completed, the converter is dumped and the molten steel is poured into a mold made of refractory materials, and a pair of rollers are used to repeatedly roll it.
In order to facilitate the operation, the two installed a lot of pulleys and slings on the ceiling. Many of these materials were removed from the waste tire factory, and the quality is still very reliable.
At present, the No. 81 Steel Plant is still just a small workshop. There is no condition to accurately measure the carbon content in the converter. The technical principle used is only the acid bottom blowing converter steelmaking method in the mid-nineteenth century that has been improved by “modern” experience.
Although Chu Guang doesn’t know much about steelmaking, his intuition tells him that this thing is much more professional than the earthen blast furnace that Lao Bai made before.
Especially the pair of rollers, and the simple motor wound with copper wire connected to the side of the rollers, even he, an outsider, thinks it works.
At least it looks much more reliable than using a hammer.
It seems that we lack a stamping machine and cannot make seamless steel pipes. However, if we work hard, it should not be a big problem!
Brother Levin quickly closed the door of the factory and brought the manager to their workbench to show the results of their work in recent days.
”20mm curved armor, built according to the size you provided! This detachable steel plate can be perfectly connected to the front of the KV-1 exoskeleton and provide a larger armor inclination angle for your heart and other vital parts to avoid fatal injuries. In addition, at your request, we designed two special keels for this armor. Even if the armor is completely scrapped, it can be quickly disassembled and replaced with new armor plates!”
”According to our performance test, this steel plate can perfectly defend against 5mm, 7mm, 9mm and other caliber rifle and pistol bullets shot from any distance! Just hang it on your chest, even if you are facing a hail of bullets, you can retreat calmly!” Chu Guang
lifted the curved steel plate in his hand and weighed it. It was estimated to weigh about 50 to 60 kilograms.
This is just one side of the armor.
If a similarly sized curved steel plate is installed on the back, the entire upper body armor would weigh a hundred kilograms.
Without an exoskeleton, it is not so easy to wear this thing. Even the full body plate armor of the Middle Ages actually weighs only 25 to 30 kilograms, and it is difficult to exceed 45 kilograms including the harness.
And this is just a breastplate.
”What about the other parts?”
Brother Ce Suo, who was standing aside, immediately interrupted.
”It’s all here! In addition to the front armor, we have also designed corresponding rear armor for you, as well as bulletproof linings to protect the torso! But for your safety, we still don’t recommend that you stand on the front line of the battlefield. After all, such a cool armor will definitely become the target of the enemy’s concentrated fire.”
Chu Guang smiled.
What a joke.
Even you can think of it, how could I not think of it?
So far, Chu Guang will only go up to pick up a head when the victory or defeat is almost decided, and show the players a “plot animation”.
As for charging into battle, how can he have the nerve to steal the limelight from the players?
It is enough for him to seize the opportunity and blow the whistle.
However, this set of armor seems to be not only for himself, but also for that meat mountain, Big Mom and Garbage.
Their panel attributes are quite good, and their initial strength values are close to 10. If they are upgraded a few levels, they can definitely withstand it.
Since they have the debuff of parallel feet, it is difficult for them to operate complex machines, and they can’t do the work of professional players. They are just right for tanks.
Just imagining a burly white bear or lizardman charging in heavy armor is shocking enough.
The 20mm steel plate is enough for these two monsters to rush into the enemy’s bunker before their armor is shattered by light weapons.
Chu Guang checked the other parts of the protective gear, including the helmet, which basically covered more than 90% of his front part and 100% of his vital parts.
With the nitrogen-powered hammer, he didn’t need to charge under fierce firepower. He just needed to guard against sneak attacks at critical moments.
”The total weight of the armor is 220 kilograms, which is 20 kilograms over the standard, but it’s not a big problem,” Chu Guang put down the protective gear in his hand and looked at the two players, “Can I try it?”
Brother Levin and Brother Ce Suo nodded at the same time, with excited expressions on their faces.
”Of course! We have been ready for a long time!”
”Please give it a try!”
What’s the point of not trying the equipment you made?
As they said, Brother Levin and Brother Ce Suo carried the 100-kilogram breastplate with great effort, put it on the wooden stake that served as a target, and then quickly hid to the side to avoid stray bullets. Chu
Guang estimated the distance, which was about 30 meters, and then pulled out the 10mm caliber silver revolver from his waist, aimed at the breastplate and fired a shot.
Bang!
A thunderous sound reverberated in the factory, and the muzzle flames were like lightning. I saw that the breastplate hanging on the wooden stake was like being struck by lightning, and it fell backwards with the wooden stake.
I didn’t expect this gun to be so powerful!
The two players widened their eyes and hurried over to take a look. When they saw the bullet embedded in the steel plate, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
”It went through, but not completely!”
”The bullet is well made, it didn’t bounce off. But the bullet was crushed…hiss, it’s so hot.” Brother Levin reached out to touch the bullet and pulled his finger back as if he had been electrocuted.
It didn’t hurt, but it seemed to have blisters.
Walking over to take a look at the armor plate lying on the ground, Chu Guang nodded with satisfaction.
”You did a good job. It seems that your steel plant is on the right track. The reward for completing the task has been issued to the corporate account of Steel Plant No. 81, a total of 200 silver coins!”
”In addition, for your outstanding personal performance, I will reward you with an additional 20 silver coins and 200 contributions in the name of the manager.”
After listening to the manager’s words, the two players’ faces instantly showed expressions of joy and excitement.
I didn’t expect that there would be an extra reward for completing this task!
”Thank you, Mr. Manager!”
”We will continue to work hard! We will make Steel Plant No. 81 bigger and stronger!”
”Very good, very ambitious!” Chu Guang coughed lightly, adjusted his expression slightly, and continued seriously, “Next, I have two important tasks to give you.”
”Currently, the outpost lacks heavy armor and seamless steel required for the production of gun barrels. I need you to produce 10 sets of breastplates weighing less than 30 kilograms, which are required to be worn normally by residents of standard size shelters, mainly for residents of strength.”
”In addition, I also need you to produce 10 7mm caliber seamless steel pipes, which are required to be able to withstand the chamber pressure generated by rifle bullets when fired.”
”The specific details and rewards of the task have been updated in your VM, please check it in time.”
After listening to it, Brother Ce Suo and Brother Levin immediately stood up and shouted with high morale.
”Guarantee to complete the task!”
Very good.
Chu Guang nodded with satisfaction, and finally told the two of them a few words like “pay attention to production safety”.
Then, he put on the fully protected exoskeleton and left the steel plant like a furnace with a sledgehammer on his back.
Outside the factory.
The heavy snow stopped for a while, and the sky in the distance gradually darkened.
Now it was the NPCs’ rest time, and the weapon shop at the outpost had closed its doors.
With today’s daily salary, Xia Yan left the weapon shop and took her crutches, and curiously strolled to the North Gate Market.
Looking at the various goods on the stalls, she widened her eyes in surprise.
Of course, the players were the most surprised.
They had never seen Boss Xia leave her weapon shop, let alone come to the North Gate Market.
”Damn, the owner of the weapon shop is out?”
”Awesome! Now NPCs can buy players’ stuff!?”
”Wait, hasn’t the manager been buying it all the time? I’ve seen him stealing here for a long time!”
”How can it be the same? The manager is the planner’s own son! Besides, didn’t you hear the planner say that the codes of other NPCs are based on his source code. Obviously, his AI has evolved, and other NPCs have become smarter! Maybe in the future all NPCs will be able to buy our stuff!”
”Damn, when you put it that way, why do I feel like it’s a development game?”
”Emmmm…development of the manager? That doesn’t seem to be wrong. After all, he is so smart now, at least half of the credit goes to us.”
”…”
Sometimes Chu Guang really wishes his ears weren’t so sharp, otherwise people would always misunderstand him as being narrow-minded.
In all conscience, isn’t he selfless enough?
People with principles like him are almost extinct in the wasteland!
”Here you go.”
The voice that suddenly floated to his ear interrupted Chu Guang’s thoughts.
Looking sideways, I saw Xia Yan holding a crutch in his elbow, holding a skewer of roasted venison leg in one hand, and generously handed it over.
”Last time, you treated me to soup, this time I’ll treat you to roasted venison leg!”
Holding a crutch in his elbow and holding roasted venison leg in his hand, this action was somewhat funny.
Chu Guang smiled and took the venison leg.
”Then I’m welcome. However, as your boss, I still remind you that you’d better save your salary.”
Xia Yan bit the roasted meat and blinked.
”What do you mean by saving?”
”Don’t you have the habit of saving?”
”Saving?”
”Forget it,” Chu Guang blew on the hot venison leg, gently tore off a small piece with his teeth, chewed it carefully, and swallowed it before slowly saying, “Just pretend I didn’t say anything.”
Xia Yan: “?”
After such a long period of comfortable life, he almost forgot about the time he spent on Bet Street.
Most people in the wasteland live day by day, so how can they have the concept of saving?
You never know when the chips you save up will become someone else’s pocket, so you might as well live every day happily.
At this time, a player suddenly ran from a distance, shouting excitedly as he ran.
”A lot of people came from the north! They are heading south along the elevated road out of the city. There are about fifty or sixty people… maybe sixty or seventy, and they are leading a few camels and cows! Not sure about their identities!”
The little players at the market entrance immediately started talking about it.
”Is it a caravan?”
”My god, merchants are coming again?!”
”Didn’t they say it was the last wave of winter?”
”I don’t know. Strictly speaking, the last wave should have been the last wave, but didn’t another wave come later? It’s not strange!”
Looking at the “players” who were talking about it, Xia Yan glanced at VM. Seeing no movement, she tilted her head and peeked at Chu Guang’s expression, and found that his expression gradually became solemn.
Even if she didn’t know how to read people’s expressions, she guessed that something bad must have happened.
So she finished eating half of the roasted deer leg in her hand at the speed of light, and Xia Yan held her crutches tightly and asked in a low voice.
”What happened?”
”It’s probably nomads.”
”Nomads?! What are they doing in Qingquan City at this time? It’s snowing so heavily.” Xia Yan was surprised.
She had heard rumors about nomads, although they were not very good rumors.
”I don’t know. The snow this year was very sudden, more than a month earlier than in previous years. War, famine, waves… These are not unique to Qingquan City, and the Middle Continent is not just the River Valley Province.”
Nomads in the wasteland do not refer to those who graze, but to those refugees who have lost their homes, are forced to wander, and make a living by hunting and scavenging.
They usually represent disasters, chaos and ominousness, but they are not as blatant as looters.
Maybe one day they found a suitable home, settled down, and embarked on the path of order.
It is also possible that they suddenly found a lot of weapons, became evil, broke the moral bottom line, and completely turned to the camp of chaotic evil.
Of course, this possibility is actually very small, just like buying lottery tickets, maybe only one or two out of ten thousand samples will win the prize.
Previously, Liu Zhengyue from Brown Farm had mistaken Chu Guang for nomads wandering around this area because they brought a lot of dried meat to trade for food. Unexpectedly,
he actually ran into them this time…
”You stay in the shelter first.”
If they continue to move forward, they will definitely find the brick factory in the northwest corner of Linghu Wetland Park.
Without any nonsense and explanation to Xia Yan, Chu Guang looked at the players at the entrance of the market and raised his voice.
”Everyone gather.”
”Take your weapons and follow me to meet them!”
(End of this chapter)
