Steel torrents pioneering a different world

Chapter 85 What is Industrial Cthulhu? (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets)
A few hours later——

The outline of an industrial city appeared on the distant horizon, its lights twinkling in the night.

The truck kept running even as the driver rested. Ke Cheng relieved Xiao Zhao, gripped the steering wheel himself, stepped on the gas, and the heavy truck roared to life.
The continuous high-intensity work and long-distance driving left him physically exhausted, and his eyelids began to feel heavy.

Thankfully, when we left, the car had some exciting in-car DJ music playing!

"Flowers are blooming at the foot of the rolling green hills, what kind of rhythm is the most swaying... If we're going to sing, we'll sing with the most joy, you are the most beautiful cloud in my sky, let me keep you in my heart (keep you in my heart)..."

Listening to the DJ version of the square dance anthem, Ke Cheng felt refreshed and even a little excited.

The car smoothly merged into the national highway, blending into the north-south traffic, just like a drop of water merging into the ocean, becoming indistinguishable from the rest.

Who would have thought that this seemingly ordinary heavy truck, which plays DJ music, had just completed a cross-world trip a few hours ago?

No one knew that the seemingly ordinary middle-aged driver in the driver's seat, along with his comrades, was transporting a secret that could change the world order.

Guided precisely by the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, the heavy truck drove into a heavily guarded side gate of the factory area. Lu Ming, who was in charge of the handover, had been waiting for a long time.

He looked to be in his forties, wearing a slightly worn blue overall outfit. When he wasn't speaking, he looked like an ordinary old technician.

"Old Ke, was the journey smooth?" Lu Ming came up and shook hands with Ke Cheng, his grip strong.

"It went smoothly, but it was a bit tiring." Ke Cheng grinned and pointed to Zhang Zhongxiao, who was still catching up on sleep behind him. "This is Zhang Zhongxiao from the materials group. He will be overseeing the smelting process from start to finish."

Lu Ming nodded, and without further pleasantries, handed over a sealed file bag.

"These are the confidentiality regulations and communication manuals for smelting workers. You need to take a look at them first."

Zhang Zhongxiao was woken up, took the file bag, and was still a little dazed.

When he saw what was written on it, he instantly sobered up.

It specifies the boundaries of communication in detail, and even simulates various questions that workers might ask, providing standard answers.

"Director Lu, you have so many rhetoric techniques?" Zhang Zhongxiao asked, somewhat surprised.

"There's nothing we can do," Lu Ming sighed.

“Apart from the comrades transferred to the other world, the workers in the factory who are in charge of the specific operations only know that this is a batch of special high-value ore samples from a certain mining area. They have undergone multi-level confidentiality review, but they know nothing about the source. In case of any abnormal phenomena during the smelting process, you must explain them according to the manual.”

"Well, in a couple of days, the mineral analysis company will also announce that they've synthesized some new materials. They're going all out! You guys might even have to go to the research institute to help with the promotion."

"Oh~"

"Everyone, come with me!"

Zhang Zhongxiao followed Lu Ming, holding the not-so-thick booklet, feeling its weight in his palm.

This goes beyond the scope of technical work.

He felt immense pressure carrying out such an important mission.

Fortunately, after reviewing the documents, Zhang Zhongxiao discovered that these confidentiality agreements were very similar to the agreements he had signed before, with a high degree of repetition.

After several hours of rest and intensive memorization, Zhang Zhongxiao and his technical team finally mastered everything.

Subsequently, Lu Ming personally drove a lead vehicle, guiding Ke Cheng's heavy trucks, and slowly drove into the actual smelting area.

Looking at the spotless crushing and grinding area in front of him, and the brightly lit flotation separation workshop and towering matte smelting furnace in the distance, Ke Cheng was calm, even a little nostalgic.

After all, he was a soldier who came from here.

But Zhang Zhongxiao, who was seeing such a scene for the first time, was completely shocked!

The flowcharts in the book and the 3D models on the computer are nothing compared to the huge, cold, and powerful steel behemoth in front of me—they're like a child's doodles!

The raw, violent aesthetics of industry left him speechless for a moment. "Normally, it would be easiest to just throw this kind of high-grade ore into the blast furnace. But the commotion in the lab last time was too much."

Lu Ming pointed to the equipment in the distance.

"Everyone was worried about further casualties, so they specifically instructed us to use the safest magnetic separation and flotation methods to be as precise as possible! The subsequent high-temperature matte smelting was also only allowed to be tested in small batches first to ensure safety before considering large-scale production."

He looked up at the blast furnace that seemed to pierce the night sky, then glanced back at the several hundred-ton heavy trucks in Kecheng, and curled his lip.

"Old Ke, the car is too small, and the quantity is too small!"

Ke Cheng, who was standing next to him, curled his lip and said, "If these two thousand tons were ordinary ore, we probably wouldn't even be able to make back the electricity costs."

This production line can handle tens of thousands of tons a day like it's nothing. It's currently being specially started to smelt two thousand tons from another world, which is extremely costly.

Zhang Zhongxiao finally recovered from the shock and asked weakly, "Don't we... have a smaller smelting furnace? Even a laboratory-sized one would be fine."

Lu Ming looked at him as if he were an alien, then shrugged, his expression a mixture of helplessness and inexplicable pride.

"No way! Those small stoves? They were technologically outdated and highly polluting. We responded to the call for environmental protection long ago and we personally eliminated and dismantled them all!"

"What about the junk? I seem to remember you could say you'd dismantle some factories and take them to another world!"

"The effort of dismantling the old one, plus the added costs of transportation, is less worthwhile than producing a new one!"

Zhang Zhongxiao: "..."

"We're the Industrial Cthulhu!"

Lu Ming clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back, and a smile appeared on his face: "Alright, everyone has rested enough, let's get started! Let me tell you, those downstream engineers doing applied engineering research are practically begging for their rice to cook!"
-
Another world!
As soon as a slightly tired Deng Dakang stepped out of the laboratory, Master Chen and Master Zhou immediately went to greet him.

Their expressions carried a sense of solemnity and determination.

“Layman Deng, we have thought it through.”

Master Chen spoke first, his tone calm and steady.

"We two are willing to try to use special materials from another world to study the art of talismans."

Deng Dakang's gaze passed over the two men, glanced at Wang Hu who was standing straight not far away, and then returned to the two Taoist priests.

His gaze was somewhat unfocused, as if he was still immersed in his previous research, with countless thoughts churning in his mind.

"Two Taoist priests, let me be frank from the start: we've only scratched the surface of the properties and dangers of those things. Are you sure you want to use them?"

"I am certain!" Master Chen answered decisively.

"I'm sure too!" Master Zhou echoed.

Seeing their firm attitude, Deng Dakang nodded in satisfaction.

He led the two men to his office, printed out an authorization letter, signed it with a flourish, and stamped it: "Alright, I'll give you a note. Comrade Wang Hu and Comrade Teng Yanchen will fully assist you with the specifics."

Seeing that Deng Dakang was about to turn and leave after writing the note, Master Chen couldn't help but ask, "Layman Deng, aren't you going to get involved in this matter personally?"

Deng Dakang paused, turned around and smiled, his eyes flashing with a kind of fanatical excitement.

"I've made an even more interesting discovery. Those things are very interesting!"

"Alright, you guys get back to work. Comrade Wang Hu will help you!"

The two Taoist priests exchanged a glance, both seeing the astonishment in each other's eyes.

(End of this chapter)