Munitions Empire

"They're eating in the canteen; they look like they haven't eaten for quite a while," Wes reported back to Tang Mo's office, where he saw Tang Mo fiddling with a pile of copper wire coils.

Tang Mo had been tinkering with this thing whenever he had time, but Wes had no idea what it was actually used for.

But he had realized by now that Tang Mo was an inventor, and a terrifying one at that. Everything he created, apart from cigarette cases and lighters, seemed to have a potent effect capable of changing the course of civilization.

Seeing that Tang Mo didn't speak, Wes continued to ask, "Do you really plan to keep these orcs?"

Tang Mo didn't lift his head as he assembled several components together, only he knew that he was making the world's first telephone.

After piecing together the parts he needed, Tang Mo finally looked up and countered Wes's question, "I've kept John around, so why not give them a chance?"

"Maybe they could indeed be of some use," Wes thought for a moment and nodded in agreement with Tang Mo's words.

These orcs seemed quite gullible; if handled well, they could even yield unexpected results.

For example, if they were sent to take out an enemy, the trail starting with the orcs' identity was highly unlikely to lead back to Brunas, a port that had little to do with the orc race.

"If used properly, they can be remarkably effective," Tang Mo also believed that these orcs would definitely be of great use.

But his thoughts were entirely different from Wes's; he planned to cultivate an orc power to foster divisions within the enemy, preventing the orc race from being united.

Only by doing this could he exert his influence over the orcs and construct a perfect puzzle.

Because the two men stood at entirely different heights, their visions for using the orcs diverged completely.

Curious, Wes continued to ask Tang Mo, "So, what should we do now?"

Tang Mo put down the parts in his hand, scratched his head, and after some thought, said, "Now? Since the Poplar Kingdom is being so compliant, how can I not give them a bit of trouble?"

"Looks like it's the end of the good days for the elves," Wes showed a mischievous smile. He knew that once Tang Mo set his sights on them, the damn Poplar Kingdom of the Elf Race would definitely have a rough time.

Tang Mo also felt that the Poplar Kingdom couldn't be allowed to do as they wished in Novice Village anymore. If they became too powerful to control later on, it would indeed be more troublesome than now.

So, he decided to use his own power to at least delay the rise of the Poplar Kingdom, "It's time to collect some interest from the Poplar Kingdom."

After some consideration, he decided that employing his naval power was a fast and effective way to halt the expansion of the Poplar Kingdom.

Therefore, he issued an order, "Send an electric message to Brunas 1 to break away from the Black Dragon Island waters, follow the explored route, and intercept any returning fleets of the Poplar Kingdom! Do not let a single warship escape!"

Based on the timing, the maritime trade of the Poplar Kingdom, as well as their fishing boats and dispatched fleets, should be about to return.

These fleets were laden with goods, many carrying resources sorely needed by the Poplar Kingdom, undoubtedly a mouthwatering prize.

Sinking these warships and merchant vessels would deal a huge blow to the Poplar Kingdom. Additionally, blockading the ports of Poplar and destroying their coastal facilities would certainly stall the expansion pace of the Poplar Kingdom for a while.

At least, the enemy would have to divert some of their focus to coastal defense. By then, they would realize how foolish it was to have incurred this debt in the past.

"Also, find a way to dispatch our people to the other kingdoms surrounding the Poplar Kingdom, let them stir things up a bit. Now that I'm hitting the Poplar Kingdom and taking the pressure off them, it's only right they pay up," Tang Mo directed.

"Understood!" Wes nodded, then walked out of the room to convey Tang Mo's orders.

...

Off the coast of Black Dragon Island, Brunas 1, an armored warship on patrol near the anchorage, had its first officer carrying a telegram to his captain: "Sir!"

"What is it?" The captain, seeing the telegram in his first officer's hand, asked casually.

They were actually quite relaxed here; apart from routine training, their stay was almost like a vacation.

They took turns visiting the island, eating fruit, enjoying game meat, and climbing hills to admire the scenery. Life was exceedingly comfortable.

But happy times were always short-lived, and now... the order had come.

The first officer answered directly, "A telegram from Brunas."

"Read it!" the captain ordered.

Upon receiving the command, the first officer opened the telegram and read aloud, "Electric order: Brunas 1 is to immediately depart from the Black Dragon Island waters and intercept all warships of the Poplar Kingdom encountered along the route—sink them all!"

The captain's expression turned serious instantly, and he ordered the first officer, "Reply! Order received, Brunas 1 is executing the command immediately!"

"Yes!" The first officer stood at attention and saluted, equally solemn. As the saying goes, train for a thousand days to be used for a moment—the time had finally come for the Great Tang Group to call them to action!

"Report on the coal supply situation!" The captain turned to the communications officer and commanded.

The communications officer immediately turned to the voice pipe beside him and shouted, "Report the coal replenishment status!"

An NCO on the lower deck immediately responded to the question, "Coal loading at ninety-five percent!"

The captain continued to check the status of the warship, "Boiler operation status!"

Soon, a confirmation message came from the lower deck, "The boiler is operating normally!"

"Power transmission system!" he then looked towards the officer responsible for monitoring the gauges, and asked for confirmation.

The officer, watching the slightly trembling gauge needle, replied loudly, "The power transmission system is in good working condition!"

"Cruising speed!" the captain continued his checks.

"Cruising speed 35 kilometers, economic mode," the helmsman replied loudly.

"Course correction! Left rudder 21 degrees!" The captain glanced at the compass and adjusted the ship's course.

The helmsman immediately turned the ship's wheel and loudly echoed the command, "Course correction! Left rudder 21 degrees!"

The bow of the Brunas Number One Warship immediately sliced through the waves, heading towards the distant sea horizon. Behind it, it left two separate wakes.

In fact, Tang Mo had certainly considered that once a warship belching thick smoke appeared on the sea surface, the Elf Race, who knew about steam engines and extensively used them, would definitely realize what kind of power the Great Tang Group warships relied upon.

These elves would surely begin to think about powering their own warships with this type of power—or rather, they were already considering it.

After all, the train was no longer a secret, and if the other side wanted to copy it or was willing to study it, they could certainly make a replica.

However, Tang Mo also knew that it would take time—a lot of time and experimentation—to do so!

As long as they didn't obtain the blueprints and design concepts of the ironclad warships, they would surely not succeed in replicating them.

After all, it would definitely take decades to figure out something like the propeller, which worked underwater; it wasn't something that could be easily copied.

So even if they thought of using steam power, the best they could quickly come up with would be substandard craft like paddle steamers.

The warships produced by the Great Tang Group, which had already advanced to propeller propulsion, could never be defeated by trash like a paddle steamer; the two were simply not in the same dimension!

And the elves, who had lost control of the sea, would become the best advertisement for the Great Tang Group's naval equipment! Every kingdom would wish to buy warships from the Great Tang industry to protect their vast sea territory!

That's another business opportunity! Sitting in his chair, playing with the telephone in his hands, he had a moment of reflection: Making money isn't shameful.

Now, sending his warships to roam around the elves' marine territory would definitely leave the Elf Race dizzy and disoriented.

He could even have his warships block the entrances to their ports and sink any passing ships.

Tang Mo felt a tinge of regret; if his warships were equipped with radar, he could hunt down Elf Race ships more efficiently.

Unfortunately, he didn't have radar, nor a way to detect enemy ships from a distance. However, with a speed advantage, once he found his opponents, he could certainly give them a nasty surprise.

He could even use his artillery advantage to blockade the enemy's ports, destroy them, and temporarily prevent the enemy from obtaining any maritime supplies.

This would be interesting. If the Poplar Kingdom couldn't use sea transport, then their factories along the coast would cease operations.

Switching to land transport would take time, and the time lost by the Poplar Kingdom would surely cause them to miss opportunities for outward expansion.

Indeed, if Tang Mo decided to hit the Poplar Kingdom hard, he could dispatch three warships to create chaos and turn the coastal region into a complete battlefield.

But Tang Mo's base was on Black Dragon Island, so he couldn't neglect his own base to dig pits for the Poplar Kingdom.

Of course, digging some pits was definitely in order—he sent out his warships, and on the other side, he sent his people.

These individuals could quickly help establish connections between the kingdoms around the Poplar Kingdom and the Great Tang Group. Tang Mo could then use his sea control to provide military supplies to these kingdoms in the future.

One rises as the other falls; the Poplar Kingdom would find it not so easy to continue their expansion. Afterward, if Tang Mo used the Orc Gales IX to stir up trouble in the occupied territories of the Poplar Kingdom, it would certainly become uncomfortable for them.

Soon, this naval battle that erupted along the coast of the Elf Poplar Kingdom would shock the world, making everyone realize that their naval warfare weapons were already completely obsolete!

He wanted to declare to the whole world through actual battle results that he was the largest, newest, and strongest... Lord of the Seas!

-------

I'm not feeling great today, so I won't make up for the missed updates. The other update will come later; everyone can read it tomorrow morning.